BEIRUT, Sept 14 (NNN-NNA) – An official said that, Lebanon’s internal disagreement about ways to return Syrian refugees to their homeland will impede such an initiative.
The decision for the return of Syrian refugees should be taken completely by Syrian authorities, which would begin with a direct contact between Lebanon and Syria, said Amal Abou Zeid, foreign ministry’s representative, on the joint Lebanese-Russian committee for the return of Syrian refugees.
Zeid added that the Russian strategy for the return of Syrian refugees is not enough and it does not constitute the only solution for this issue.
More than a million Syrian refugees are registered with the UNHCR in Lebanon, while the Lebanese government estimated the true number of Syrians in the country to be at 1.5 million.
The flow of Syrian refugees to Lebanon has weighed heavily on the country’s economy and infrastructure, prompting President, Michel Aoun, to warn that Lebanon will send refugees to European countries, if they do not facilitate the return of refugees to Syria.– NNN-NNA