Salam from Syria Donors Conference: We Reject Permanent Residence of Refugees in Lebanon

Prime Minister Tammam Salam warned on Thursday that Lebanon will “soon be unable to contain” the burden of Syrian refugees, demanding that improvements be made to the mechanism in which aid is made to the displaced.

He said: “We cannot accept the permanent residence of refugees in Lebanon and we demand that pledges be translated to action.”

He made his remarks during a speech at the donors conference on Syria held in London.

“A contract is needed to translate promises into action,” he demanded, while highlighting the need for work opportunities that would improve the conditions of Lebanese and Syrians alike.

“Lebanon is unable and cannot be expected to alone support the burden of the refugees,” Salam declared.

This donors conference should mark a shift in how the issue of the refugees is addressed.

“Lebanon believes that the success of this conference hinges on the implementation of a number of mutual commitments between the Lebanese government and international partners,” he explained.

“Let us carefully weigh the trade off. This is not a time for smart negotiations, but it is a time for empathy,” he stated.

“This is a time for vision and courage,” said the premier.

“The world should realize that a real danger lies in a new wave of refugees, which will go beyond the neighboring countries,” Salam noted.

“The only solution to the Syrian crisis should be political and the only solution to the refugee tragedy lies in their return to their homeland,” he stressed.

Salam held talks on the margins of the conference with British PM David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu.

The Syrian conflict, which erupted in 2011, has forced 4.6 million Syrians to seek refuge in nearby countries -- Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt -- while hundreds of thousands have journeyed to Europe in the region's biggest migration crisis since World War II.

Lebanon alone supports around 1.5 million refugees.

M.T.

G.K.