Bassil, Derbas Appease Fears over Employment of Syrian Refugees
Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil and Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas have appeased fears that the donors conference, which is scheduled to be held in London next week, would encourage Syrian refugees to remain in Lebanon and pave way for their naturalization.
The conference has for the first time shown international commitment to consolidate economic and development projects, Bassil told An Nahar daily published on Wednesday.
“We reject naturalization,” he said, adding that the projects encourage Syrians to return home when the conflict is over.
Bassil told the newspaper that the foreign ministry has proposed the STEP program, which allows the short-term employment of Syrians.
The project activates the economy and finds job opportunities for the Lebanese and Syrians in the agriculture and constructions sectors, he said, adding that the Syrians would put part of their salaries in private accounts which they will have access to upon their return to their country.
Derbas also stressed that Lebanon rejects the naturalization of Syrians.
“We are ready to give the Syrian refugees and residents job opportunities within the law,” he told An Nahar.
The comments of the ministers came over fears that the international community would encourage the displaced Syrians to remain in the host countries, such as Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan after Germany proposed creating up to 500,000 short-term jobs to help the refugees survive in the overburdened Middle Eastern states.
Germany's minister for economic cooperation, Gerd Mueller, said during a visit to Jordan on Tuesday that Germany will raise the idea at next week's conference in London.
The World Bank and other donors are also promoting new ideas, including interest-free development loans for the hard-hit Middle Eastern host countries.
The idea was discussed at a meeting with top officials from regional host countries on Monday, ahead of the Feb. 4-5 conference, where aid agencies and regional governments are expected to seek close to $9 billion for 2016.
The appeal at the conference in London would include $3.18 billion to alleviate suffering inside Syria and $5.75 billion for close to 4.3 million war refugees and their regional host countries, among them Jordan and Lebanon, according to U.N. figures.
Almost 4.3 million Syrians have fled civil war since 2011 and most remain in the region, mainly in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Some 1.2 million are registered in Lebanon and about 630,000 in Jordan, most living outside formal refugee camps.
Over the past year, cuts in food and cash support for refugees — a result of severe aid shortfalls — helped trigger an exodus from the region to Europe. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have reached Europe, many heading to Germany, because the cuts made life in host countries increasingly difficult.
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Source: Associated Press, Naharnet
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