aawsat.com — Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri condemned on Friday Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil for his “unilateral” decision to freeze the residency applications of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees employees in Lebanon. Hariri’s aide, Nadim al-Mounla revealed that the PM had highlighted to the minister the severity of his decision, urging him to reverse it immediately. Bassil had ordered a freeze on residency applications submitted by UNHCR staff, accusing the agency of hindering the return of Syrian refugees by “spreading fear”, his office said on Friday. The minister considered his step a form of “diplomatic escalation,” while observers condemned it as a “negative” and reckless move. Mounla told Asharq Al-Awsat: “This unilateral action does not reflect the policy of the government and its prime minister, who is the central figure in charge of foreign policy.” Bassil acted as if he alone is responsible for the refugee file in Lebanon, while completely disregarding the fact that there is an actual ministry – the Ministry of State for Refugee Affairs – that is dedicated to tackling refugee affairs.

There are no disputes in Lebanon over the refugees’ right to return to their homeland, “but one cannot treat international agencies in such a manner. This is an affair linked to government policy, not the decision of a singular minister,” added Mounla. Education Minister Marwan Hamadeh condemned Bassil’s measure, comparing it to a “declaration of war of attrition against international institutions, while completely disregarding its impact on Lebanon’s reputation.” Bassil said the UNHCR had discouraged refugees in the northeastern region of Arsal from returning by asking them questions about conditions they might face in Syria, including the possibility of military conscription, security problems and poor accommodation. “UNHCR does not try to discourage the refugees from returning back to Syria at all. We respect people’s decisions, the individual decisions for people to return,” said Rola Amin, spokeswoman for the agency in the Middle East. International law expert Dr. Paul Morqos ruled out any negative impact Bassil’s move may have on Lebanon, saying he had resorted to diplomatic pressure to reach a certain goal. “The pressure may force the UN to comply with the government request and work on facilitating the refugees’ return given the burden they are imposing on Lebanon,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat. The foreign minister “did not bar the UNHCR from operating in Lebanon, but he only froze its staff’s new residency applications, which is not a rejection of the agency’s work,” he added. Lebanon hosts more than a million Syrian refugees who constitute more than a quarter of its population and says their presence has strained public services and suppressed economic growth. Lebanon’s president and other top politicians have increasingly called for refugees to return to “secure areas”. In an emailed statement, seen by Reuters, Bassil said he would consider taking further measures against the agency.