Lebanon's March 14 coalition, which opposes Assad and its Lebanese allies, said those who voted "should be deported immediately"
 Lebanon's -Mashnouq: Syrians who intends to vote in Syria will lose their refugee status ED NOTE: Displaced Syrian responded to Future Movement asshole by asking Syria to allow them to vote at Beirut's embassy on June 3rd
"In process of regulating the entry and exit of Syrian nationals into Lebanese territories, all displaced Syrians registered with the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) are to refrain from entering into Syria as of 1/6/2014, under penalty of losing their status as refugees in Lebanon," the statement stressed. "The Interior Ministry hopes for compliance with this measure for the safety of displaced Syrians in Lebanon, as well as preserving Lebanon's security and the relationship between displaced Syrians-Lebanese citizens in preventing any friction or mutual provocation," the statement added. This decision comes three days before Syria is to witness presidential elections, what raises questions about its political dimensions and intentions. | ||||
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Lebanon to strip Syrians of refugee status if they visit home
Syrian refugees in Lebanon will lose their status as such if they return home for a visit, the interior ministry said Saturday.
At the same time, there are calls among political and media figures associated with the Western and Saudi-backed Marched 14 political alliance for deporting those who voted in an election in which Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is expected to win.
More than a million Syrians have fled their war-torn country for Lebanon in the past three years, according to the United Nations.
"Syrian displaced people who are registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees are requested to refrain from entering into Syria starting June 1, 2014, or be penalized by losing their status as refugees in Lebanon," said the March 14-aligned ministry.
The statement, published by the National News Agency, said the measure is grounded "in a concern for security in Lebanon and the relationship between Syrian displaced and Lebanese nationals... and in a bid to prevent any friction between them."
The decision, which takes effect Sunday, comes two days after tens of thousands of Syrians flocked to their Beirut embassy to vote in the election.
Lebanon's March 14 coalition, which opposes Assad and its Lebanese allies, said those who voted "should be deported immediately... because their security in Syria is not under threat."
The refugee influx into Lebanon has burdened the tiny Mediterranean country's weak economy, with politicians on all sides calling for measures to limit the flow.
Lebanon has not signed the Convention on Refugees, and refers to Syrians forced out of their country by war as "displaced."
Most Syrian refugees in Lebanon live in informal camps dotted around the country, mainly in border areas in the north and east.
The authorities say the actual number of Syrians in Lebanon is far higher than the nearly 1.1 million accounted for by UNHCR.
Lebanon has frequently complained it lacks the necessary resources to cope with them, and that the labor market is struggling to accommodate them.
Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil warned Thursday that the country would "collapse" if the influx continues to soar.
He also said Beirut was taking measured aimed at "putting an end to the Syrian migration wave to Lebanon."
(AFP, Al-Akhbar)
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