Kaag Assures Ban Made no Mention of Lebanon in Refugees Report

U.N. Special Coordinator Sigrid Kaag stated on Friday that the controversial report of U.N. chief Ban Kin-moon on the refugees did not mention naturalizing or granting the Lebanese nationality for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

“Ban knows well that the Lebanese constitution does not allow naturalization. His report did not mention Lebanon,” said Kaag after a meeting with Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil.

“The solution to the Syrian refugees in Lebanon will only be through a political solution for the Syrian crisis and when the circumstances permit,” she added.

Kaag was scheduled to make a statement on Friday related to the latest message of Ban that triggered fears of naturalizing Syrian refugees in Lebanon, An Nahar newspaper reported.

Kaag will deliver the statement after she holds a meeting with Bassil and later with PM Tammam Salam, the daily added.

According to An Nahar, Ban had said in a report he submitted to the Vienna conference on Syria that refugees have the right to obtain the nationalities of the countries they live in.

His remarks triggered a storm of criticism and the cabinet declared Thursday that it unanimously rejects any attempt to naturalize Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

The cabinet's statement said: “The cabinet reaffirmed the Lebanese consensus on rejecting naturalization and any policies that encourage the refugees to stay where they are, seeing as the only solution to the refugee crisis is the Syrians' speedy return to their country, which contradicts with the principles of voluntary return, integration and naturalization.”

The cabinet also agreed to “conduct the necessary contacts” and “demand clarifications regarding Ban Ki-moon's remarks on the naturalization of refugees.”

D.A.

M.T.