Interior Ministry Publishes Citizenship Decree, Admits 'Suspicions' over Some Names

The Interior Ministry on Thursday published a highly controversial decree granting Lebanese nationality to dozens of people, after politicians and ordinary citizens alike fumed over the secrecy that shrouded the edict over the past few days.

“After the naturalization decree numbered 2942 (May 11, 2018) turned into a public opinion issue, and in line with the transparency principle, the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities announces that it published the decree this afternoon on its website: www.interior.gov.lb,” the ministry said in a statement.

It noted that its preliminary investigations have revealed that “there are security and judicial suspicions over a number of names” that were included in the decree.

“The accuracy of this information is being crosschecked through an additional investigation that is being conducted by the General Directorate of General Security,” the ministry added, noting that the rest of the names are also being scrutinized.

The list published on the ministry's website comprised more than 400 names of various nationalities, including a quarter of Syrians and just over a quarter of Palestinians.

Its most notable include one of Iraq's two vice-presidents, Iyad Allawi, who is also British and whose mother was Lebanese, as well as his wife and three children.

The former prime minister and lawmaker -- a Shiite who presents himself as secular -- was re-elected in Iraq's parliamentary polls on May 12.

From Syria, those on the list include the three sons of Syrian steel and flour mogul Farouq Joud, powerful industrialist Khaldun al-Zoabi and Mazen Mortada, the son of a former Syrian minister.

The decree's critics have slammed the secrecy that surrounded the move and said it adds insult to injury for thousands unable to acquire nationality because they were born to Lebanese mothers and foreign fathers.

Political discourse in Lebanon is deeply divided over the war in neighboring Syria, with allegations of corruption on all sides.

The contested decree has brought all of that to the fore.

Although it was issued on May 11, according to the Interior Ministry's statement, news of its existence only emerged last week when dozens of names allegedly included in the edict were leaked to the media.

It prompted a wave of public outrage, with Lebanese officials scrambling to defend themselves or defect blame.

The president's office confirmed the decree's existence, but said it had submitted the names to the General Security agency to verify they all have "the right" to become Lebanese.

That agency, in turn, established a hotline and encouraged citizens to call in any relevant information about named individuals.

Lebanese media has reported the list may include businessmen known to be close to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Under Lebanese law, foreign businessmen are not permitted to invest in Lebanon without local partners, and foreigners can only be naturalized by presidential decree, signed by the prime minister and interior minister.

Business ties and investments are valid reasons for naturalization, said caretaker Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, who is also the president's son-in-law.

Lebanese nationality could be granted to "anyone useful to the state, whether a businessman, investor or someone with a good reputation, and whose naturalization would be in Lebanon's interest," Bassil said.

Naturalization is controversial in Lebanon, where power is shared according to religious parity.