Foreign Ministry Says Number of Deported Lebanese from Gulf Overstated
The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants said on Sunday that the numbers circulated in media outlets of Lebanese emigrants deported from the Gulf countries are exaggerated.
“The numbers of Lebanese emigrants spread in media outlets do not reflect the reality and are overstated,” said the Ministry in a statement.
“The figures alleged that thousands of Lebanese have been deported and these numbers are overstated and would hence trigger concern among members of the Lebanese community and the Lebanese public opinion,” added the statement.
“In the framework of our keenness on the Lebanese diaspora, the ministry is always pursing the issue of Lebanese deported from Gulf countries.”
According to the Ministry, there are 74 cases of deportation that include expelling, deportation and non-renewal of residency permits for various reasons including Lebanese groups working or residing in these countries.
“For example, reports circulated about the intention of Kuwait to exclude thousands of Lebanese for nonlegal reasons turned out to be untrue after a meeting between the Charge d'Affaires at the Lebanese embassy in Kuwait and the deputy foreign minister,” added the statement.
The Charge d'affairs affirmed that there are no deportation cases linked to the affiliation or political belonging of Lebanese.
In March, reports have said that around 1,100 Lebanese and Syrian nationals were to be banned from renewing their residence permits in Kuwait for having direct links to Hizbullah.
The Gulf Arab states blacklisted Hizbullah as a "terrorist" group earlier that month.
Around 50,000 Lebanese live and work in the oil-rich Arab countries, providing remittances that are vital to the domestic economy.
The terror blacklisting was the latest step taken by Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia, against Hizbullah, the leading force in Lebanon's governing bloc which is backed by Riyadh's rival Tehran.
Saudi Arabia had also halted a $3 billion program of military aid to Lebanon to protest what it said was "the stranglehold of Hizbullah on the state".
It also urged its citizens to leave Lebanon and avoid traveling there.
Qatar and Kuwait followed with similar travel advisories, while the United Arab Emirates banned its nationals from travel to Lebanon.
Source: Naharnet
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