Kataeb’s Head of Public Policy and Legislation Lara Saade participated in a seminar organized by the organization "Kulluna Irada", on the sidelines of the Brussels Conference on the Future of Syria and the Region.

Saade emphasized that Lebanon hosts the highest number of refugees relative to its population in the world, highlighting that Syrians constitute one-third of Lebanon's population, a burden that exceeds the country's capacity in terms of resources and infrastructure.

She asserted that integrating Syrian refugees into Lebanon is impossible, both constitutionally and practically, as it would disrupt the demographic balance on which Lebanese society is based. 

"Resettling refugees in third countries is not a widely viable solution, given that most countries have shown a reluctance to share this burden over the past thirteen years. Therefore, facilitating the return of Syrians to safe areas in their homeland is the most realistic and sustainable path forward. It is impractical to continue tying the return of refugees to the achievement of a comprehensive and lasting political settlement in Syria, as this goal remains out of reach for now," she pointed out.

Saade stressed that rigid stances and conditioning the return of refugees on an unrealistic political breakthrough in Syria will inevitably lead to heightened social tensions in Lebanon, instability, and the spread of violence.

She noted the significance of the European Parliament's resolution in July 2023 regarding Lebanon, which recognized that, despite the lack of comprehensive stability in Syria, there are currently safe areas. 

"This assessment aligns with the views of many European Union member states, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Malta, and Poland. Recognizing the improved security situation in Syria, these countries have rightly called for a reassessment of EU policies and the search for a more effective approach to addressing the prolonged displacement crisis, such as identifying safe areas and facilitating the voluntary return of refugees to them," she explained.

 "Given the distant prospects of a political settlement in the foreseeable future, it is unreasonable for the international community to cling to the same stringent conditions and standards that may have been appropriate in 2011 but are no longer suitable after more than a decade," she indicated.

"Therefore, the European Union and the entire international community must radically shift away from rigid stances and separate the return of refugees from the stalled political process in Syria. We must all seek a gradual and phased approach that enables returns based on comprehensive and continuous security assessments on a region-by-region basis. This phased approach can uphold the fundamental rights of refugees while providing a practical framework for sustainable solutions that align with Lebanon's national interests," she added.

"The European Union would be wise to abandon its 'all or nothing' strategy, decouple the issue of refugee returns from stalled political process in Syria and instead explore a gradual, phased approach enabling repatriation of Syrian refugees based on localized area-by-area security assessments," she said.

She concluded by emphasizing that prioritizing the return of refugees to safe areas within Syria aligns with our shared responsibility.

"Simultaneously, this pathway serves Lebanon's sovereign national interests by helping to alleviate tensions, correct unsustainable demographic imbalances, and reduce the severe pressures on our economy and infrastructure resulting from the refugee crisis," Saade stressed.