Parties put pressure on their government to return expats

The Bloc explained in a statement that today many are calling for the return of Lebanese citizens from abroad, like those stranded, or those without financial help, and especially students. The “parties/sects” have now revealed that the new government is not really and independent one as they dictate its agenda.  The union of parties that are represented in the government is disintegrating day after day to be replaced by points scored against each other.

The government’s claimed independence has been debunked as Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry is threatening to suspend “Amal Movement” participation in the government, and Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah advising Berry to be patient stating that “there is no need to use painful words towards officials”.  Additionally the Free Patriotic Movement’s president Jebran Bassil is also demanding that the government be given time to study the matter, showing that he is concerned about his government and is offering time to receive the appointments he wants in return.

The Bloc stressed the right of every Lebanese citizen to return to his or her country, and that it is the government’s duty to provide a safe return. It also warned that the Council of Ministers will convene tomorrow to discuss this issue, yet no committee of specialists has been consulted to answer the following questions:

• Who are the Lebanese citizens who wish to return, and what are their estimated numbers: one thousand, 5 thousand, or 50 thousand?
• Is there a list of countries classified according to their health status in relation to Lebanon? Is it an option to keep some expatriates where they are and offer financial assistance or facilitate the transfer of funds to them?
• Is it safe to transfer the expats from their homes to the airports in the countries they are in? Are there measures implemented to avoid being exposed to the pandemic where they are?
• Will citizens be tested for the virus before boarding airplanes in order to isolate the sick from the rest of the passengers?
• Does the Beirut International Airport have the necessary mechanisms to isolate infected persons?
• Are there sufficient quarantine rooms in Lebanon to isolate the sick for the required period, and are there capabilities to provide treatment for those who need it?

In its statement, the Bloc wondered where the “parties/sects” got the funds used to equip hotels for those who will be returning and will need quarantine, and for the sick as well. Those funds are but the tip of the iceberg of what those “parties/sects” have embezzled over 30 years of corruption and quota systems while they were in power. They are now distributing some of what they have taken in order to turn aid into votes in the next elections.

The Bloc stressed that people should remember that the parties who are now calling for the return of expats, are the same parties that forced people to leave the country after systematically destroying Lebanon’s economy. The questions we have asked in this statement should be answered, otherwise the parties that are dictating the return of expats on the government will not only be responsible for forcing people to leave Lebanon, but will also be responsible for returning them at the risk of their health and the health of their families.