'Most Syrians' in Lebanon will be 'deported,' Mikati says from Bkirki

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Saturday that "most of the Syrians in Lebanon" will be "deported … when the international community recognizes" the existence of safe zones in Syria. Mikati's remarks were made during a meeting with the Maronite patriarch, Bechara al-Rai, at Bkirki. The comments come against a backdrop of heightened tensions and xenophobic acts against the Syrian community in Lebanon, following what the Lebanese Army has reported as the murder last Sunday of a Lebanese Forces (LF) official by a Syrian gang.

"We are in the process of putting in place a solution through our contacts," Mikati assured the Maronite patriarch, while calling for "a distinction to be made between Syrians who work in Lebanon and those who arrive in Lebanon as refugees to take advantage [of this status]."

"The solution begins by considering most of the regions in Syria to be secure so that Syrians who have come to Lebanon as refugees can be deported there …. Once there are secure regions in Syria and the international community recognizes this, most of the Syrians who are in Lebanon without a job or legal pretext will be deported. We will respect the rights of those who have residence and work permits just as we respect any Arab citizen," the caretaker head of government continued. "Nothing unites the Lebanese today more than the issue of displaced Syrians," he added.

The murder last Sunday of LF executive Pascal Sleiman has raised tensions in Lebanon, with an upsurge in verbal and physical violence against Syrian nationals and their representatives. Since Monday, videos showing individuals assaulting Syrians and vandalizing their cars have been circulating on social networks. On Wednesday, unknown assailants ransacked an office of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSBP) in Jdita, a town in the central Bekaa region. The assailants smashed the office windows, poured petrol on the premises and tried to set fire to it before fleeing, leaving a Lebanese Forces flag behind them.

Mikati, whose visit to Bkirki coincides with the 49th anniversary of the start of the Lebanese Civil War on April 13, 1975, also called for "lessons to be learned" from the past in a context in which the Pascal Sleiman killing has resurrected the specter of war and raised fears of security abuses. "Today we commemorate April 13, the date on which the painful Civil War (1975-90) began. I call on the generations that did not experience the war to learn from it," Mikati said. "We will lose out if we start fighting each other … Everyone must return to the fold of the state," he added.

'No direct threats'

Asked about the risks for Lebanon after US President Joe Biden's announcement on Wednesday that Iran was "threatening to launch a major attack against Israel," the caretaker premier said, "There are no direct threats [to Lebanon], but the threats are part of a kind of pre-emptive war. I don't know if there will be any strikes. In any case, the element of surprise [concerning the strike] is now zero."

"The patriarch told me about his security, political, social and economic fears. These fears are legitimate, and the solution lies in a strong and capable state. The solution begins with the election of a president, the formation of a new government and then the implementation of comprehensive  reforms," Mikati added.

Lebanon has been without a head of state since the end of October 2022, when Michel Aoun's term in office expired. Since then, Parliament has tried 12 times to elect a new president, without success due to a lack of political consensus.

Mikati also criticized those who "lament" the situation and the state of Lebanon's institutions. "The state brings everyone together. It's true that there has been an increase in the crime rate, but most of the criminals have been arrested in the space of a few hours or days. This is a positive point for the Internal Security Forces and army intelligence," he said.

The caretaker prime minister also discussed the work of the his caretaker cabinet, which continues to meet in the absence of a president of the republic to deal with pressing matters. "I assured the patriarch that we are not trying to take anyone's place …. We are going to continue to work because we believe that our work enables us to preserve the state," Mikati said, in response to those who accused him of seeking to arrogate to himself the prerogatives of the president of the republic.

Geagea criticism

The leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, on Saturday criticized "the prime minister's plan to resolve the Syrian refugee problem," in particular the "expulsion of illegal migrants."

"These plans are a waste of time. Under international law, Lebanon is not a country of asylum. Applying the law in Lebanon is a sovereign decision that does not require consultation, either with the [UN] Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees or with the agencies attached to the United Nations or with international humanitarian organizations," Geagea wrote on the social media platform X.

The LF leader called on Mikati and his caretaker government to implement the decisions of caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi in this respect. He also suggested that caretaker Defense Minister Maurice Slim ask the security services and the army to ensure that these decisions be implemented on the ground. "If the government does not implement these measures, it will be fully responsible for the damage that Lebanon and the Lebanese may suffer," Geagea added. 

In October, Mawlawi launched a crackdown on illegal Syrian migrants. He called on the security forces to "stop motorbikes driven by Syrians who do not have a residence permit." He also urged governors, heads of municipalities and mokhtars to apply a "categorical ban on accepting donations … linked to displaced Syrians" and asked the governorate of Beirut to "combat begging in the capital" — a phenomenon for which some allege Syrian networks are responsible.