The German senate has announced that it would receive 500 Syrian and Iraqi refugees residing in Lebanon this year.
In an official decree, Berlin explained that the decision aims to: “Save people in special need of protection who have fled to Lebanon.”
The senate pointed out that the decision had come after “comprehensive coordination” between federal and state authorities, as well as delays due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Berlin’s Interior Ministry Senator Andreas Geisel told reporters that the programme’s focus would be on: “Families with children holding Syrian and Iraqi citizenship and are currently residing in Lebanon.”
“The selection process, which is currently being prepared, will be conducted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in accordance with its Refugee Status Determination (RSD) rules,” Geisel added. He noted that the Berlin state police would then conduct a: “Security check with the support of federal security agencies.”
The German official explained that the first refugee families were expected to arrive in Berlin later this year.
Around one million registered Syrian refugees currently live in Lebanon, according to United Nations official data. They are reported to have been suffering difficult living conditions and racism due to the Hezbollah group, which supports the Bashar Al-Assad regime.
