Return of displaced Syrians to be voluntary: Lebanese General Security

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Lebanese Security General chief Abbas Ibrahim confirmed on Tuesday the organization of a new convoy to return the displaced Syrians to their country tomorrow, noting that the return of the displaced Syrians will be "voluntary."

In a press conference held at the General Security headquarters in Beirut, Ibrahim said that "The return will be voluntary, and we will not force any displaced to return; this is a principle we have established, and we seek to reduce the burden on Lebanon."

"There are currently 2,080,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon and approximately 540,000 Syrians who have voluntarily returned to their country since the Lebanese General Security started implementing the plan in 2017," Ibrahim said.

He revealed the opening of 17 public security centers in all Lebanese regions in order to organize the voluntary return of the Syrian refugees.

The Lebanese official also stressed that the file of the displaced Syrians is a national one and that "returning them to their land is a national duty that we must carry out." 

Ibrahim also noted that Lebanon has seen a welcoming attitude and transparency by the Syrian side in dealing with the file of the return of displaced Syrians.

"The displacement file has negative repercussions on all levels, so it must be addressed, and Lebanon rejects the way it is dealt with by many, such as humanitarian organizations and other organizations claiming humanity and trying to dictate their will on us," he noted.

Earlier today, an official Lebanese source confirmed to Sputnik that the Lebanese General Security Service has completed all preparations to send the first batch of displaced Syrians to their country on Wednesday, noting that the batch includes about a thousand people, and they voluntarily expressed their desire to return to Syria.

The source also mentioned that the Lebanese President Michel Aoun is personally following up the file of the return of the displaced Syrians to their country, and on a daily basis, with the Security General chief Abbas Ibrahim who is likely to hold a press conference today, in which he will talk about the organization of the process.

The batches of returning Syrian refugees from Lebanon to Syria began in 2017 but stopped at the end of 2019 due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is worth noting that Lebanon constantly calls on relevant international organizations to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to their country, in order to reduce the economic burden borne by the Lebanese state, in light of the economic and living crisis.