Budapest: Lebanese Kataeb Party leader, MP Sami Gemayel, participated today in a panel discussion at the CPAC conference in Budapest, Hungary. In his address, Gemayel addressed the repercussions of the Syrian displacement crisis on Lebanon, calling on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in this respect.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Gemayel highlighted that Lebanon, a small country with an area of 10,452 square kilometers and a population of nearly 5 million, has become one of the most densely populated countries in the world, having hosted more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees. This influx represents an increase of nearly 50% of the original population.
Gemayel illustrated the severity of the crisis by comparing it to France potentially welcoming an additional 32 million displaced people. He stated that the situation has persisted for 12 years and emphasized that the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime has removed the justification for the continued presence of refugees in Lebanon. "What is the excuse today? The regime is over, so why are refugees still in Lebanon?" he questioned.
He called on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to review its policies toward the Syrian crisis, advocating for the return of displaced persons to their country as the current priority. Gemayel stressed that this issue affects not only Lebanon but also Jordan, Turkey, and other European countries.