— Developing story.
Crimes by Syrians in Lebanon prompts reassessment of early repatriations
- Latest incident was the killing of an official in the Lebanese Forces Party, Pascal Suleiman
- Lebanon currently hosts around 2 million Syrians, most having arrived since 2011
BEIRUT: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees reiterated on Tuesday “the right of Syrian refugees in Lebanon to return freely to their homeland whenever they choose to do so.”
It came as the campaign against the continued presence of Syrian refugees in Lebanon intensified against the backdrop of crimes committed by Syrians in recent weeks.
The latest incident was the killing of an official in the Lebanese Forces Party, Pascal Suleiman, last week after his car was stolen and his body taken to the Lebanese-Syrian border.
It was preceded a few days earlier by another crime committed in the Achrafieh area in Beirut against a husband and wife by their Syrian maid and other Syrians in and intended robbery. The husband died following the incident and his wife seriously injured.
On Tuesday morning news broke of the death of Lebanese Yasser Al-Kokash in the town of Al-Azzounieh in Aley district at the hands of Syrian citizens after they tied him up and stole the contents of his apartment.
Syrian refugees started coming to Lebanon in 2011. The number of refugees registered with the UNHCR has decreased to less than one million people after some returned to their country. However, after the UNHCR stopped registering Syrian refugees in 2015, the rate of illegal crossings from Syria to Lebanon increased.
Lebanon estimates the number of Syrian refugees on its territory to exceed 2 million people.
Caretaker Minister of Interior Bassam Mawlawi estimated the percentage of Syrian detainees and convicts in Lebanese prisons to be about 35 percent of the total prison population.
The Lebanese General Security has organized voluntary repatriation trips for Syrian refugees, but only a few thousand refugees returned, as the Syrian regime decides who can return according to lists of names provided by the Lebanese General Security to the relevant Syrian authorities.
In a statement, UNHCR spokeswoman Dalal Harb said: “We support and respect the humanitarian right of refugees to return freely and voluntarily to their home country, whenever they choose to do so, in accordance with international principles and non-refoulement.”
Harb stressed that “most Syrian refugees express their desire to return to Syria, but their decision is based on several factors, including safety, security, housing, access to basic services, and securing livelihoods.”
He added the UNHCR “will continue to cooperate with the General Directorate of General Security, which facilitates the repatriation of the refugees who want to return to Syria by registering their names.”
Ahead of the Brussels Conference on Refugees on April 30, Lebanon has urged donors to secure assistance to cover the cost of the Syrian presence in the country.
Minister of Information Ziad Makary said on Tuesday: “The illegal infiltration of Syrian refugees through the sea from Lebanon into Cyprus has caused a diplomatic crisis.
“The crimes that have occurred made us focus more on this existential problem for Lebanon. The solution is for them to either return to Syria or go to a third country.”
Makary also went over the decisions taken, such as “the circular aiming to close all the unauthorized institutions owned by Syrians.”
He considered that “convoys of return require a political solution with Syria.”
A plan proposed by the ministers of labor and social affairs, the Maronite League, and the General Directorate of General Security was also addressed, which aims to repatriate Syrians, calls for the establishment of a National Emergency Authority headed by the prime minister.
It will be in charge of communicating with UNHCR officials in order to assist the state in classifying Syrians into three categories.
The first includes Syrians registered with the UNHCR as refugees and who can return to safe areas of their country. The second category includes Syrians who are registered with the UNHCR as refugees and work in Lebanon, while the third includes those who are registered with the UNHCR as refugees and want to travel to a third country.
As for the Syrians residing illegally in Lebanon, a “ministerial committee headed by the interior minister will be in charge of putting together lists of names indicating whether those Syrians have a valid residency or an expired one, and whether they have any documentation.”
The plan also stipulates that “land borders will be controlled, as it appeared that infiltration is mostly happening for economic reasons rather than security reasons.”
A delegation headed by Lebanese Forces MP Sethrida Geagea met Interior Minister Bassam Al-Mawlawi on Tuesday. Geagea called for “the implementation of the interior ministry’s circulars related to handling the illegal Syrian presence.”
Geagea estimated the number of Syrian refugees “in the northern Christian cities, Mount Lebanon and Jezzine to be around 830,000.”
She said that “implementing these circulars allow us to reduce the number of refugees very soon,” adding: “According to the United Nations, Lebanon is not a country of asylum, but a country of transit. We’ve been tolerating this since 2011, but we cannot do this anymore.”
Pakistan Army vows stern action against ‘malicious’ propaganda targeting military
- Statement comes days after videos on social media last week showed soldiers beating Punjab police personnel in Bahawalnagar
- Baseless allegations against law enforcement agencies part of larger design to drive wedge between armed forces and people, says army
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army on Tuesday warned it would ensure stern action is taken against “malicious” propaganda and baseless allegations against the country’s armed forces, days after a series of videos emerged on social media showing soldiers beating up cops after a confrontation.
According to the information available in the public domain, a brawl between army soldiers and Punjab police personnel broke out in the Pakistani city of Bahawalnagar last week. The scuffle reportedly took place after a soldier’s relative was arrested by police without the necessary paperwork.
The army said on Friday that the issue was “promptly addressed and resolved” by the military and police authorities, without sharing details of the incident. Videos of the altercations, however, prompted criticism of the army on social media platforms.
Punjab Inspector General Police Dr. Usman Anwar had blamed social media for blowing the incident out of proportion, saying it had benefited the country’s enemies who were trying to create the impression that Pakistani state institutions were at odds with one another.
“Forum noted with concern the malicious propaganda campaign meant to demoralize the Armed Forces,” the army’s media wing said in a statement released after a meeting of the army’s top brass, headed by its chief General Syed Asim Munir, took place in Rawalpindi.
The army’s media wing added it had also noted that baseless allegations against security forces were part of a larger design to drive a wedge between the people and Pakistan’s armed forces.
“We will not allow such efforts to succeed and as per the law and constitution, stern action will be ensured,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
Similar incidents have also been recorded in Pakistan in the past where army officials roughed up police personnel.
In September 2016, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police registered a complaint against army officials accused of beating four Motorway Police employees after the latter issued them a traffic ticket for reckless driving.
Pakistan’s powerful military has ruled the country directly for over 30 years since it gained independence in 1947. Even when not in power, the military remains the invisible guiding hand of Pakistani politics, with an outsized role in decision-making related to foreign affairs, national security and the economy.
The army, however, says it no longer interferes in political affairs.
Saudi Arabia prepares for inaugural Umrah and Ziyarah Forum
- Developing Hajj and Umrah services in the Kingdom is a key priority of the Saudi government
- Forum will showcase initiatives and services aimed at enriching the experience of Umrah performers and visitors
RIYADH: The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is in the final stages of preparation for the launch of the inaugural Umrah and Ziyarah Forum, scheduled to convene in Madinah on Monday, April 22, for three days.
Under the patronage of Prince Salman bin Sultan, the governor of Madinah region, the forum will be held at the King Salman International Convention Center.
Developing Hajj and Umrah services in the Kingdom is a key priority of the Saudi government and an extension of the country’s historic role in serving Muslims and Islam worldwide.
The forum will showcase initiatives and services aimed at enriching the experience of Umrah performers and visitors from within and outside the Kingdom. It is part of achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, aiming to enable a larger number of Umrah performers to visit Makkah and Madinah and have the best experience they can.
The forum is held in partnership with the Pilgrim Experience Program, one of the programs of Vision 2030.
The event will include dialogue sessions, discussion groups, interactive workshops and an exhibition displaying the latest advancements in the sector.
It will feature participation from government officials and private sector stakeholders, including travel agencies, pilgrimage and tourism companies, and innovators spanning the insurance, healthcare, transportation, and technology industries.
The forum will address opportunities in the Umrah and tourism sectors, and will focus on the quality of projects, services, and products.
Participants in the general sessions and accompanying workshops of the Umrah and Ziyarah Forum will showcase their experiences, services and products. During the forum, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah will announce new opportunities and innovative work domains.
Moreover, several partnerships and agreements will be signed to enhance services in Makkah, Madinah, and various Islamic, historical, archaeological, and other cultural sites.
Heavy rains lash UAE and surrounding nations as the death toll in Oman flooding rises to 18
- Flights were canceled in Dubai while schools were shut in United Arab Emirates and Bahrain
- Some inland areas of the desert country recorded more than 80 millimeters (3.2 inches) of rain
DUBAI: Heavy rains lashed the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, flooding out portions of major highways and leaving vehicles abandoned on roadways across Dubai. Meanwhile, the death toll in separate heavy flooding in neighboring Oman rose to 18 with others still missing as the sultanate prepared for the storm.
The rains began overnight, leaving massive ponds on streets as whipping winds disrupted flights at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel and the home of the long-haul carrier Emirates.
Police and emergency personnel drove slowly through the flooded streets, their emergency lights flashing across the darkened morning. Lightning flashed across the sky, occasionally touching the tip of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
Schools across the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms, largely shut ahead of the storm and government employees were largely working remotely if able. Many workers stayed home as well, though some ventured out, with the unfortunate stalling out their vehicles in deeper-than-expected water covering some roads.
Authorities sent tanker trucks out into the streets and highways to pump away the water.
Rain is unusual in the UAE, an arid, Arabian Peninsula nation, but occurs periodically during the cooler winter months. Many roads and other areas lack drainage given the lack of regular rainfall, causing flooding.
Initial estimates suggested over 30 millimeters (1 inch) of rain fell over the morning in Dubai, with as much as 128 mm (5 inches) of rain expected throughout the day.
Rain also fell in Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
In neighboring Oman, a sultanate that rests on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, at least 18 people had been killed in heavy rains in recent days, according to a statement Tuesday from the country’s National Committee for Emergency Management. That includes some 10 schoolchildren swept away in a vehicle with an adult, which saw condolences come into the country from rulers across the region.
Saudi air cargo volumes witness 7% rise: GACA
RIYADH: The volume of air cargo handled by airports in Saudi Arabia saw an annual rise 7 percent in 2023 to reach 918,000 tonnes, official data showed.
In its latest report, the General Authority for Civil Aviation said that the Kingdom’s aviation sector strongly rebounded in 2023, with airports witnessing a 26 percent rise in passenger transportation compared to 2022.
GACA said that flight facilities in Saudi Arabia transported 112 million passengers last year, which also represented a rise of 8 percent compared to 2019.
The report revealed that the number of flights through the Kingdom’s airports in 2023 reached about 815,000, an increase of 16 percent compared to 2022.
In 2023, airports in Saudi Arabia handled 394,000 international and 421,000 domestic journeys, the authority added.
Fueled by significant growth in the Kingdom’s travel and tourism sector, 61 million international visitors and 51 million domestic passengers traveled through the region’s airports in 2023.
King Abdulaziz International Airport topped the list of the leading Saudi airports in terms of the number of flights, at a rate of 30 per hour.
KAIA was followed by King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which operated an average of 27 flights per hour, while King Fahd International Airport operated 11 carriers in an hour.
In February, Mohammed Al-Khuraisi, the executive vice president of strategy and business intelligence at GACA, said that Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector is expanding rapidly to meet the goal of reaching 250 destinations globally.
He also added that the Kingdom jumped 14 places in the International Air Transport Association Air Connectivity Index in 2023, along with achieving the highest level of air connectivity during the year 2023 by reaching 149 destinations.
Earlier this month, GACA, through its Air Transport and International Cooperation Sector, authorized China Southern Airlines to operate journeys between Riyadh and three cities in the Asian nation.
As a part of the authorization, the Chinese air carrier will operate flights from Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen to the Saudi capital.
This initiative is part of GACA’s continuous efforts to strengthen connectivity and broaden the Kingdom’s air transport network as part of the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
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