Report: Syria Could Resort to Reciprocity over New Lebanon Entry Rules
Well-informed Lebanese officials said on Saturday that the Syrian side depicted the latest measures taken by Lebanon's government to control the influx of Syrian refugees as a “flagrant violation of the Lebanese-Syrian treaty that could aggravate relations between the two neighboring countries”.
The sources also did not rule out the possibility that the Syrian authorities could take similar measures as a retaliatory action by closing the transit border line between Lebanon and the Arab countries.
“What if the Syrian authorities decided to close the vital line that links Lebanon to the Arab countries. How would the Lebanese authorities react to such a measure, and what will the reaction of merchants, truck drivers, and thousands of Lebanese families who live of agricultural exports to Arab markets do,” the source told As daily said.
Lebanon had on Monday begun imposing entry restrictions on Syrians, including those fleeing their country's civil war.
The measures don't apply to Syrian refugees, and the procedures are limited to filling in a card that specifies the aim behind the visit of any Syrian and not a visa restriction.
The measures don't involve Syrians who hold refugee cards and are registered by the U.N. refugee agency.
Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq also stated on Saturday that the Lebanese government has taken the decision to stop the influx of Syrian refugees to Lebanon.
He stressed that “the exceptional measures were taken in exceptional circumstances that no one can deny due to the large number of brethren Syrian refugees entering Lebanon.
“We do not deny their favor when they received us during times of war and we will continue to do the same and provide them with their needs. However we will receive no more refugees unless in particular cases that will be decided by the General Security and the Ministry of Social Affairs.”
The new entry restrictions were highlighted during a meeting between head of the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council Nasri Khoury and General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim.
The entry restrictions are the first in the history of the two countries and come as Lebanon struggles to deal with more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees.
The influx has tested the country's limited resources, as well as the patience of its citizens, particularly as security has deteriorated.
For months, Lebanon's government has sounded the alarm, warning the international community that it could no longer deal with the influx.
Starting October, the government said Lebanon would stop accepting displaced Syrians, with exceptions on humanitarian grounds only.
A U.N. report said on Wednesday that Lebanon is hosting the largest number of new refugee arrivals between January and June 2014.
UNHCR said Lebanon shot up from being the 69th largest refugee-hosting country to second largest within just three and a half years.
over 9 years
This is not because Lebanese are somehow better than Syrians. It is because Lebanon with all its faults is a much a better place than the state of terror known as Assad Sysria.
over 9 years
Syrians should be entitled to free entry into Lebanon. We are one people in two countries
over 9 years
Let Lebanese trucks register with a Jordanian number plate and finish with a dirty assassin and dirty rules.
over 9 years
ASSad extortion at best, thanks to Aoun and Hizbcocaine co-operation on this matter, we inherated the refugee for ever, caus ASSad doesn't want them back, (remember! They opposed him).
over 9 years
Followers of the Butcher, the most criminal beast ever, are you ready to follow him in Hell?
over 9 years
I know that..however you are okay to sell yourself to Assad or anyone who pays good. Rafik Hariri was selling himself and the whole Lebanon for good money until the day he realized that the Syrians now wanted to favor even more Lahoud at the expenses of him.
People like you...who were there during the occupation, singing loudly "BACHAR BACHAR" during each Sagesse/Ryade game... and still there after the Syrian withdraw have no honor
You are with anyone as long as you get money and Christian not back in power
You have no honor, we dont respect you
over 9 years
well, there is a solution.Open up the southern border with Israel thru Jordan and into the rest of the middle east. Have peace with Israel and go prosper. Its time for that peace deal.
over 9 years
Sorry - no go. Israel is a racist state that continue to dispossess millions of people from their homes including some half a million refugees in Lebanon. There will never be peace until Israel agree to make peace with the Palestinians.
over 9 years
That might take a while.
Peace with Israel is "foreseeable" if Israel takes care of the Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon problem, then slowly each country should do positive advances to have a future between Lebanon & Israel. They're not going anywhere, nor are we.
over 9 years
Syria is No 1 enemy of Lebanon.
over 9 years
Syria is not ... The Assad regime is.
over 9 years
I beg the Syrian authorities to reciprocate. Let them impose visas on our citizens like we did, ma this is what normal relationships are all about, not a one way street for these Syrians to come in and do whatever they wish here. Things do have a way of ending sooner or later, now that the fat calf is dead and gone, let the Syrians reciprocate. They've been used for too long to a Lebanon is is too condescending, too conceding, too generous, yalla, c;est fini la belle vie pour vous, finito, khalass. Take your bags and go home, yalla!!
over 9 years
Ah, by the way also ya Syrians, please take Aoun with you and the lackeys you created here, we don't need them, take them, keep them and bon appetit.
over 9 years
Sign a treaty with Israel and open the Southern borders.
over 9 years
Most Lebanese will never agree with Israel. We do not oppose the murderous regime of Assad to support the murderous Zionist regime.
over 9 years
All sounds lovely.
Though... We have 400 000 Palestinians in Lebanon, forced to live in Lebanon because Israel kicked them out of their beds.
They are Israel's problem and no talk of peace with Lebanon is forseeable till "That" is solved. Hezbollah's demands are along the same lines, (+ Shebaa, Water of Litani & now Natural Gas) are easy to resolve. Israel needs to solve the 400 000 Palestinian problem, because thats they're problem, not Lebanon's. We hosted them, and give them a place to stay; Though it is not fair for the Palestinians, nor the Lebanese.
over 9 years
AD.com,
I am not proposing supporting the zionist regime, I am rather supporting the interests of Lebanon by finding alternative solutions to the Syrian control of our borders and our lives. Play Syria and Israel against each other for a change.
over 9 years
Chopper, watch out you could just wake up Mystic and start us another barrage of Zionist accusations, the man has set himself lose on us lately. :) :)
over 9 years
Do not worry phoenix, Mystic is only putting on a show here. He loves Israel because it justifies the existence of the Shiite Militia.
over 9 years
As a measure of Reciprocity, Syria will close the borders and send all Syrians out of Syria and will fine and expel any citizen that will stay against the will of the Assads.
The late King of Morocco said:"I know many Syrians who want to become Lebanese, but I do not know one Lebanese who want to become Syrian"