BEIRUT: Given lackluster international support for refugees in Lebanon, the U.S. State Department’s criticism of stricter entry restrictions imposed on Syrians is out of place, according to the Future Bloc.
“The bloc believes that Lebanon has [received] only a small fraction of the required and necessary assistance,” the bloc said in a statement released after their weekly meeting Wednesday.
The comments were made only days after the U.S. State Department and international organizations criticized recently announced measures that require Syrians to obtain one of six types of entry permits – tourist, business, student, transit, short stay, or medical.
The new measures are meant to distinguish visitors and workers from refugees and curb the flow of Syrian nationals into Lebanon.
In defense of stricter entry regulations, the bloc said the latest restrictions represent a “primarily sovereign decision” that comes as a result of the mounting pressures of Syrian displacement and the protracted oppression of the Syrian people.
Laying fears to rest, the bloc said measures involve a “fluid formula” that can be altered, noting that problems arising during application could prompt changes to entry policies.
Rather than concentrating on Lebanon’s measures against refugees, the bloc called on Western countries and international organizations to shift their focus to ending the “destructive war waged by the Syrian regime and its enemies against the Syrian people in order to halt the influx of Syrians into Lebanon.”
Shifting to another controversial file, the statement sounded alarms over a media spat between two of the country’s ministers. Squabbles have emerged between Economy Minister Alain Hakim and Health Minister Wael Abu Faour over the latter's handling of the recent food safety campaign.
“Exchanging accusations weakens the state and its image and reflects [poorly] on Lebanon and the Lebanese,” the statement said.
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