Lebanon to stop accepting Syrian refugees

The Lebanese will no longer accept Syrian refugees fleeing the unrest in their home, Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas announced on Monday.

After a meeting with the ministerial committee dedicated to the Syrian refugees, which is headed by Prime Minister Tammam Salam, Derbas announced the government’s decision.

“Stopping the refugees is final, because Lebanon is no longer able to host anymore,” he said. “Any Syrian national is welcome, but not as a refugee.”

Derbas said there were a number of areas on the Syrian side of the Lebanese-Syrian border which were free from fighting.