Gemayel from Budapest: Lebanon Reaching Breaking Point Over Syrian Displacement

The regime is over, so why are refugees still in Lebanon?

Lebanese Kataeb Party leader, MP Sami Gemayel, participated today in a panel discussion at the CPAC conference in Budapest, Hungary.

In his address, Gemayel addressed the repercussions of the Syrian displacement crisis on Lebanon, calling on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in this respect.

He said: "Lebanon, a small country with an area of 10,452 square kilometers and a population of nearly 5 million, has become one of the most densely populated countries in the world, having hosted more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees, representing an increase of nearly 50% of the original population."

Gemayel added, "To understand the magnitude of the crisis, it is enough to imagine what would happen if France welcomed an additional 32 million displaced people into its population."

He explained that this status-quo imposed on Lebanon has persisted for 12 years, emphasizing that the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime has eliminated the pretext used to justify the continued presence of refugees in Lebanon. "What is the excuse today? The regime is over, so why are refugees still in Lebanon?" asked Gemayel.

He called on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to review its policies toward the Syrian crisis, stating that "the priority of the current phase must be the return of displaced persons to their country."

"This issue does not only affect Lebanon, but also Jordan, Turkey, and other European countries," Gemayel underlined.