by aawsat.com — Lebanese Deputy Speaker Elie Ferzli told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday Lebanese politicians will start working on the return of Syrian refugees to safe areas inside their country, directly following the government lineup. “We will refuse that 24 hours pass after the birth of the new cabinet without the presence of serious talks for the return of Syrian refugees to their country,” he said, adding that Lebanon would not mind demanding the help of the international community to speed up their arrival to Syria. General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim uncovered Thursday the presence of ongoing contacts with the Syrian regime in order to repatriate the Syrian refugees. “Contacts with Syrian authorities are underway to secure the return of thousands of refugees back to their homes. The issue is imminent,” he said

His comments came after Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai said he had asked French President Emmanuel Macron to encourage Syrians return to their country, during a meeting between the two men this week in Paris. Ferzli criticized officials who refuse to negotiate with the Syrian regime on the issue of Syrian refugees. “Those people announce they are against the presence of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. But, this position is not enough to assure their return home. What is important is to work for that end,” he said. There are more than one million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Their presence drove division among political forces: The Free Patriotic Movement and Hezbollah do not mind holding contacts with the Syrian regime to secure their return to Syrian safe areas. However, the Mustaqbal Movement reject any coordinating with Bashar Assad’s regime, saying their safe and secure return should be realized through the United Nations.