Lebanon’s Govt Accuses Syrian Refugees of Altering Country’s Identity

Lebanon’s caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi. (AP)
Lebanon’s caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi. (AP)
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Lebanon’s Govt Accuses Syrian Refugees of Altering Country’s Identity

Lebanon’s caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi. (AP)
Lebanon’s caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi. (AP)

Political and popular campaigns against the growing presence of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are exacerbating, amid demands to return them to their homeland and counter international community claims that their return is not yet safe to their war-torn country.

Lebanon’s army has taken security measures on the border with Syria to prevent the illegal entry of refugees.

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi gave the “green light” on Wednesday to the municipalities to “stop the illegal presence of refugees”, vowing accountability.

After a meeting with mayors and governors, Mawlawi said in a press conference that “a large number of different kinds of crimes are committed by the Syrians in Lebanon”.

He said more than 30% of the total crimes are committed by Syrians, including theft, car stealing, kidnapping, manslaughter, drug smuggling, human trafficking, counterfeit, sexual harassment, etc. “This requires cooperation in order for us to preserve the image of our country”, he said.

The Syrian presence in Lebanon “is causing massive damage to this country, its identity and future”, added Mawlawi.

The Minister stated that Lebanon will accept no assistance whatsoever with the aim of making it turn a blind eye on the illegal entry of refugees. “...Lebanon is not for sale”, he said.

Lebanon is home to some 800,000 Syrians registered with the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) who have fled since the war erupted in 2011.

Lebanese authorities say the real number of Syrians in their country is 2 million.

The international community says the return of refugees is not yet safe to their war-ravaged country. Relatives and rights advocates say that deported refugees are subject to forced conscription upon return to their homeland.



Mali Accuses Algeria of Shooting Down Surveillance Drone, Recalls Ambassador

The drone wreckage was found 9.5 kilometers south of the border with Algeria 
The drone wreckage was found 9.5 kilometers south of the border with Algeria 
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Mali Accuses Algeria of Shooting Down Surveillance Drone, Recalls Ambassador

The drone wreckage was found 9.5 kilometers south of the border with Algeria 
The drone wreckage was found 9.5 kilometers south of the border with Algeria 

Mali accused neighboring Algeria of shooting down one of its surveillance drones near their shared border in a statement read out by the security minister on national TV on Sunday.

The West African country and its allies Burkina Faso and Niger recalled their ambassadors from Algeria for consultations over the incident, a separate joint statement said on Sunday.

Mali said the drone wreckage was found 9.5 kilometers south of the border with Algeria after it was shot down in the night between March 31 and April 1.

The government said it had concluded “with absolute certainty that the Malian Armed Forces drone was destroyed in a premeditated hostile action by the Algerian regime.”

The three Sahel countries said in their joint statement that they energetically condemned the “irresponsible act by the Algerian regime.”

Algeria's Defense Ministry on April 1 said the army had shot down an “armed surveillance drone” that violated the North African country’s airspace near Tinzaouaten, a community that straddles the border, without providing further details.

Mali's army said in a statement at the time that one of its unmanned aircraft had crashed while on a routine surveillance mission.