BEIRUT: General Security Chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim visited the Masnaa crossing between Lebanon and Syria Monday and said the implementation of the new controversial entry measures would go on.
“The measures will continue despite the criticism,” Ibrahim told reporters after a brief tour in the crossing, located on the Damascus Highway in the eastern Bekaa Valley.
The measures requiring entry permits from Syrians, an unprecedented move, went into effect on Jan. 1 upon a decision by the Interior Ministry and General Security.
While none of the major political parties in Lebanon condemned the measures, the Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon has repeatedly expressed discontent about them.
Ambassador Ali Abdel-Karim Ali first called the measures “unacceptable” and said the measures did not receive the consent of all Lebanese groups and were not officially decreed by the Cabinet.
In response, Social Affairs Minsiter Rashid Derbas defended the measures, saying all ministers of the Cabinet had announced that they supported a policy that stopped the influx of refugees.
Lebanon currently hosts at least 1,158,000 Syrian refugees according to the UNHCR, while the government says the number is much higher due to the numerous unregistered refugees.
The new entry permits oblige incoming Syrians to state the reason for their entry and stay in Lebanon. Six types of visas were added: tourist, business, student, transit, short stay and medical.
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