Arab countries call for return of Syrian refugees

BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Arab countries, meeting in Beirut on Sunday for an economic summit, called on the international community to step up efforts to allow Syrians to return home.

The UN refugee agency announced last month that there were still about 5.6 million Syrians in five neighboring countries – Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Iraq – and that their return was still dangerous.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria in 2011, more than one million people have fled the Lebanese border.

Lebanese officials have called on displaced people to return home after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad succeeded in re-establishing control of much of his country with the help of Russia and Israel. 39; Iran.

"We call on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities to reduce the tragedy of displacement and asylum and to make every available opportunity to find radical and effective solutions," said Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil ,.

The statement calls on the international community to "redouble international efforts to promote conditions conducive to the return of internally displaced persons and refugees in accordance with applicable international law and to ensure respect for the sovereignty and laws of the host country".

Before the summit, the main stumbling block in the region was whether Syria's return to the Arab League was a good thing, more than seven years after the suspension of its membership.

The Hezbollah group backed by Iran, which fought alongside Assad and his political allies, including Aoun, calls for rapprochement with Damascus. Other politicians oppose this and insist that the United Nations oversee returns.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun, a political ally of Hezbollah, called for a "safe return of refugees".

"Lebanon calls on the international community to make all possible efforts and to create conditions conducive to the return of displaced Syrians to their country, particularly in stable, accessible or low-tension areas, without being linked to a political solution", Aoun said. And to encourage the return to contribute to the reconstruction and stability of their country. "

"We have worked to put forward a draft final declaration of the summit on the crisis of displaced persons and refugees, given the impact of this serious crisis on the economy of our countries".

"In the light of the great challenges and major tasks that await us after the wars and crises in several Arab countries have been exacerbated, I take the initiative to adopt the strategy of reconstruction for development," he said. said Aoun, advocating the establishment of effective mechanisms responding to these challenges and the demands of reconstruction. Reconstruction and development to help all affected Arab countries and peoples overcome their plight and contribute to their sustained economic growth. "

Under agreements that have helped Hezbollah to mediate, tens of thousands of Syrians have left Lebanon for Syria in the past year, but this figure is a point in the sea compared to the scale of the refugee crisis.

The United Nations said it was too early for displaced Syrians to return home safely. Human rights groups have warned against forced return to Syria, where a peaceful settlement is still far from being reached.

Lebanese leaders had hoped to reach a new government before the summit after months of political deadlock, but talks failed amid fears over the Lebanese economy.

Several hundred demonstrations took place on the streets of Beirut on Sunday and blamed growing economic problems on the country's political leaders.