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European Parliament 2014-2019 Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries 30.6.2015 MISSION REPORT 12th Interparliamentary meeting European Parliament - Lebanese Chamber of Deputies Delegation for Relations with Mashrek countries: Members of the mission: Marisa Matias (GUE/NGL) (Mission Chair) Ramona Nicole Manescu (EPP) Andrea Cozzolino (S&D) Cristina Winberg (EFDD) CR\1069259EN.doc PE554.164v01-00 EN United in diversity EN Introduction The overall aims of the mission were: To meet Lebanese authorities and institutional partners, in primis the Lebanese Chamber of Representatives; To discuss with Lebanese stakeholders the cooperation between Lebanon and the European Union, notably in light of the current review of the European Neighbourhood Policy; To accomplish a fact-finding mission to the Bekaa Valley in order to visit an informal Syrian refugee camp and a school, attended by Lebanese and refugee children; To meet Lebanese and Syrian civil society and NGOs; To assess with international, Lebanese and Syrian interlocutors the situation in neighbouring Syria, also in view of a possible ad hoc mission to Damascus; The programme of the visit included high-level meetings with the Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Social Affairs, the heads of the main political parties1, members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and of the Lebanon-EU friendship group of the Lebanese Parliament, the Intelligence Director of the Lebanese Armed Forces. The Delegation also met with representatives of international organisations, notably the United Nations, and with NGOs working mainly on refugee issues. The Delegation visited Syrian refugees in the Bekaa Valley in order to assess the situation on the ground. It also discussed with international, Lebanese and Syrian interlocutors the Syrian crisis. The EP Delegation wishes to express its gratitude to the Lebanese authorities, in Brussels and in Beirut for the facilitation of this visit. In a similar vein, the delegation underlines that both the EU Delegation to Lebanon and the EU Delegation to Syria (partly relocated in Beirut) spared no efforts in devising an intensive programme of activities and meetings, which allowed the delegation to make the most of its visit and better grasp ground realities. A political impasse at a time of regional security challenges All Lebanese interlocutors insisted on the risks that the Syrian conflict further spreads to Lebanon, which it had already done to a yet limited extent with the mass influx of refugees and the presence of terrorist groups in the North-Eastern region of Ersal. The discussions were notably held with the major political parties and actors -Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Future Movement leader Fouad Siniora, Hezbollah parliamentary leader Mohammed Raad and General Aoun leader of the Free Patriotic Movement. The cooperation between Lebanon and the European Union Fully aware of the difficult internal and regional situation Lebanon is faced with, the EU is trying to mobilize its full set of cooperation instruments in support of the country. Apart from the classical cooperation areas, the EU and its Member States are putting emphasis on security 1 Despite willingness on both sides, the meetings requested with Messrs. Walid Joumblatt and Samir Geagea could not take place due to incompatible agendas PE554.164v01-00 2/13 CR\1069259EN.doc EN in general and support to the Lebanese Armed Forces in particular. In this respect, the EU Delegation to Lebanon is the first and so far only EU Delegation to have a military attaché. Within the context of the review of the European Neighbourhood Policy review (ENP), Lebanon is keen to improve and strengthen its relations with the European Union in all relevant fields, ranging from trade to technical assistance, cultural cooperation as well as student exchanges. In this context, the majority of Delegation interlocutors expressed the wish to enhance mobility and visa facilitations between the EU and Lebanon. They strongly advocated that EU should receive many more asylum seekers and refugees, in order to alleviate the heavy burden on Lebanon. The importance Lebanon attaches to the ENP was demonstrated with the ministerial meeting convened by Lebanon shortly after the mission, on 24 June 2015, and which brought together European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, Arab Foreign Ministers of the Southern Neighbourhood and the Secretary General of the Arab League. Invited by the Lebanese Speaker, President Martin Schulz was represented by Vice-President David-Maria Sassoli. The spill-over of the Syrian crisis: an existential threat By way of minimal consensus among political leaders, Lebanon officially follows since 2012 a policy of "dissociation" from the Syrian crisis in order to preserve its national security, stability and unity. The fluxes of Syrian refugees, in addition to the presence of 400.000 Palestinian refugees, put severe political, security and economic strains on the country. The Syrian crisis is considered with anxiety by the vast majority of Lebanese. All are acutely aware that, despite its best "dissociation" efforts, Lebanon cannot insulate itself from Syria and that any worsening of the situation in the neighbouring country is bound to have immediate and severe repercussions inside Lebanon. Speaker Berri warned the delegation against the danger of a possible advent of one or several religious states in Syria. In his own words, "Lebanon, with its 17 religious communities, is a wonderful but very fragile laboratory of coexistence, which probably would not survive the partition of Syria along communal lines." Syrian refugees: "a ticking bomb" for Lebanon As of May 2015, 1,183,327 refugees had been registered by UNHCR. However, following instructions from the government of Lebanon, UNHCR Lebanon has temporarily suspended new registrations. The total number of Syrian refugees is estimated by the Lebanese government at 1.6 million, which represent more than a third of Lebanon's 4.4 million population. Contrary to the situation in Jordan and Turkey, there are no UNHCR-administered refugee camps in Lebanon. While the UNHCR has commended Lebanon for its open-door policy and hospitality, it also noted a drastic decrease in the number of Syrians given refuge since the government introduced stricter rules at the border in June 2014. These rules were formalised on 5 January 2015 with the introduction of a visa regime for Syrians. To enter Lebanon, Syrian refugees now need to provide documentation and a 'justified purpose'. UNHCR has expressed concern over the extent to which 'exceptional humanitarian cases' will be permitted entry under the new visa rules. Lebanon not having ratified the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention, The legal status of refugees in the country remains unclear. Nevertheless, from the outset of the crisis, Lebanese have displayed remarkable solidarity CR\1069259EN.doc 3/13 PE554.164v01-00 FR towards their Syrian neighbours. Speaker Berri recalled that, during the 2006 war with Israel, up to 130.000 Lebanese citizens had been welcomed in Syria. Syrian refugees have been given access to Lebanon's health and education systems whenever possible, which has not always been the case, given the fact that national capacities are terribly over-stretched. With about 50 % of the Syrian refugees under the age of 18, the Lebanese educational system has been especially burdened. Despite enrolment programmes, 300.000 out of 400.000 Syrian children in Lebanon still lack schooling. Schooling is therefore accessible only to 100.000 Syrian children, in the so called "second shift" of the afternoon, after the morning classes attended by Lebanese children. The delegation had the occasion to visit children during their lessons, where teachers helped them adjust to the requirements of the Lebanese curriculum. On the occasion of its visit to an informal refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley, the delegation could meet with refugees settled in emergency tents, exposed to the harshness of the climate. Despite the efforts of the humanitarian organisations, they often lacked basic facilities. Some had to pay a rent of 100 USD per tent to the owner of the terrain; compared with the 19 USD monthly allowance granted in June by the UNHCR to registered refugees, children were often obliged to work (e.g. by collecting scrap metal). The UNHCR indicated that the amount of the monthly allowance distributed was commensurate to the donors' response to its emergency appeal and that, unless the latter increased quickly and significantly, it could not pursue its support beyond October. General Edmond Fadel, the Head of Intelligence Directorate of the Army, briefed the delegation about the settling of Syrian refugees in most parts of the country, without official refugee camps' structures (so as to avoid a repetition of the Palestinian precedent). Their presence incurred concrete danger of radicalisation: the precarious situation of Syrian youth in Lebanon made them a potentially easy target for recruitment on the part of extremist movements. All Lebanese politicians insisted that, despite their willingness to continue to support Syrian refugees, Lebanon was crumbling under their sheer numbers. The drastic increase of population overstretched the country's capacities, if only in terms of basic infrastructures such as water and electricity. The official policy of the government was to decrease their numbers, notably through a closure of the border and the 'de-registration' of Syrian citizens deemed economic rather than political refugees. Some Lebanese politicians believed that the issue of the Syrian refugees was a 'ticking bomb' for the Lebanese society and institutions, which no one knew how to deal with. "Syria is falling apart, very quickly" During the Mission, the Delegation met with concerned persons linked to Syria crisis and UN diplomats, notably Ms. Khawla Mattar, Head of the Damascus office of UN Special Envoy Steffan De Mistura. Mrs Mattar argued that already half the population was displaced or exiled; since 2011, the life expectancy has been cut down by 20 years, from 75 to 55.

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