Aoun Urges World Leaders to Work for Safe Return of Syrian Refugees

President Michel Aoun urged the world leaders to exert all efforts needed for the safe return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, warning against turning them into "hostages in an international game.”

In his speech before the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Aoun said the presence of hundreds of thousands of refugees in tiny Lebanon has exacerbated the country's worsening economic crisis. He said their safe return is a joint international responsibility that should be dealt with urgently.

He added that more than 250,000 refugees have returned to Syria from Lebanon "and there has been no information about anyone being persecuted or mistreated."

He says Lebanon will continue to encourage the "voluntary" return of refugees in coordination with the Syrian government.