Aoun Orders Reevaluation of Budget Item on Foreigners Residence Permits
President Michel Aoun on Wednesday asked parliament to reevaluate a controversial state budget article granting residence permits to foreigners and Arabs who buy apartments in Lebanon.
The Presidency said Aoun signed the 2018 state budget law and referred it to the official gazette for publication.
The president will ask parliament to “reevaluate Article 49 of the 2018 state budget for reasons he will detail in his letter,” the Presidency's press office added.
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi had on Sunday reiterated his warning over Article 49, urging its revocation.
He called for “abolishing this article and amending and suspending the foreign ownership law,” noting that the numbers of Arabs and foreigners “have currently exceeded half of Lebanon's people.”
“The current situations do not allow granting any residence permits, citizenship or naturalization,” the patriarch warned.
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