The failure of the Lebanese government to draft a unified and comprehensive policy for dealing with the Syrian refugee crisis is leading to increased tension between international organizations working with the displaced, a conference on the situation heard Monday. “We have to start searching for potential solutions. We don’t have the luxury to wait when it comes to dealing with the Syrian refugee crisis,” Middle East Institute for Research and Strategic Studies Director Elie Al Hindy said at a roundtable discussion on the launch of a policy paper proposal for managing refugee returns.
Titled “Head out of the Sand: Refugees Management and Return Policies,” MEIRSS’ paper attempts to look at potential approaches and prospects for returning refugees.
“Eight years into the crisis, still no policy has been adopted. This is why we need to focus on managing the crisis before policies are developed and implemented,” Melissa Badr, who represented the Ministry for the Displaced, told the audience at the discussion.
Although the paper details steps for preparing for the return of refugees who are no longer in fear of returning to Syria or seeking asylum, international organizations – including UNHCR – were critical.
“We have been working and continue to work ... and our heads are not in the sand,” Monique Sokhan, the U.N. refugee agency’s senior legal officer, told attendees.
