❊ A Syrian Refugee Camp in Lebanon ?

There’s a fight brewing on in the horizon between the Lebanese government and the Future Movement (FM)over setting up a refugee camp in Akkar for Syrians fleeing their regime’s aggression. This is an old issue that has resurfaced now because, according to the FM, Lebanese villagers can no longer support the swelling ranks of Syrian refugees in their midst and need help.

The Lebanese government, a closet ally of the Syrian regime, will fight this tooth and nail to avoid the optics of white tents filled with wretched families fleeing the dictator next door. One can argue that nothing has done more to discredit the Syrian regime than the sight of such tents in Turkey.

But March 8 supporters of the Syrian regime are not the only obstacle. Christians, even those allied with the FM, won’t feel comfortable setting up yet another refugee camp filled with Muslims who may or may not leave Lebanon in the foreseeable future. The delicate Lebanese demographic balance is at stake.

The practical solution to this problem is to set up a low-profile, temporary camp that would be run by UNHCR and funded by Lebanese donors (including the Future Movement). But that, unfortunately, is not politically sexy. The FM wants the flashy white tents and the camera crews to resist the Assad regime and everyone else wants to pretend the issue doesn’t exist.

The biggest losers, unfortunately, will be the Syrian refugees themselves..