Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas has said new regulations to impose visa restrictions on Syrians are aimed at differentiating between refugees and visitors.
The authorities are compelled to “organize the entry and exit of Syrians as part of the implementation of the new security strategy,” Derbas told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat in remarks published on Sunday.
The minister said the state has not blocked any border crossing or expelled any Syrian refugee.
The government is ready to coordinate with the Syrian authorities about the return of refugees to their country's safer areas, he said.
But such a request has not yet received a positive response from Damascus, Derbas added.
Syria's ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali called on Saturday for coordination with Lebanese authorities.