BEIRUT: The international community must distinguish between a political solution to the Syrian conflict and the need for refugees from the country to return from Lebanon, Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai told attendees of the Caritas regional conference Wednesday.
The refugees must return to their country to maintain their civil rights and culture and so that Lebanon is protected “from the dangers of this exhausting presence,” Rai added.
The presence of more than 1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon and their impact on the country’s already ailing economy and frail infrastructure have continued to figure high on politicians’ agendas since Parliament gave the new Cabinet confidence earlier this month.