International Hezbollah threatens to flood Europe with refugees

[Son of Jamin]

Lebanon currently has the highest concentration of refugees per capita in the world - 1 million amid a Lebanese population of nearly 5 million according to estimates.

BEIRUT: In an attempt to draw European support for Lebanon as it grapples with financial unease, Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raed threatened the bloc with the sensitive issue of Syrian refugees.

"All we have to do is wave the card of Syrian refugees and all the European countries will kneel before us," Raed said Tuesday, mirroring the comments of Turkish President Recep Erdogan who threatened to reopen the route for refugees and migrants into Europe if he does not receive adequate international support.

Lebanon has been reeling under the burden of a protracted Syrian refugee crisis since 2011, which reached 1.5 million displaced persons at its climax, straining the country's deteriorating infrastructure and further aggravating an already weakened economy.

"They [Europe] could not receive 10,000 refugees and yet they want us to take in 1.5 million," Raed said.

Lebanon is facing an austerity plagued year as it deals with soaring public debt, estimated at around 150 percent of GDP, coupled with a massive budget deficit and high unemployment.

Demonstrations have increased in recent weeks, as disgruntled citizens vent their frustrations with the government.

Throughout the year, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil has led the campaign calling for the return of refugees, often using nationalist language, while rallying international assistance for Lebanon.

The government has also intervened, shutting down shops owned by or employing Syrians without permits and ordering the demolition of anything in refugee camps that could be a permanent home.

Last year, Lebanon secured $11 billion in soft loans and grants to revamp its infrastructure but the funds have yet to see the light of day as it fails to meet the requisite conditions, including slashing its deficit to around five percent of GDP.

- With AP
https://en.annahar.com/article/1045737-hezbollah-threatens-europe-with-syrian-refugees

Cliffs

* Lebanon had 1.5 million displaced persons within its borders at its climax.
* Hezbollah has taken a note from Erdogan's play-book about threatening Europe with a massive influx of refugees if they are not receiving financial support.

Europe has shown that it is weak, which Erdogan has taken advantage of and it is therefore only natural that it has inspired Hezbollah. Second of all, the Swedish Minister of Public Administration said just the other day that the Swedish municipalities need more refugees because of the shortage of workers so this should not be seen as a threat but rather a golden opportunity for Sweden...

 

[hisandherpes]

https://www.vox.com/world/2018/3/6/17059744/israel-deport-african-migrants-asylum

https://www.timesofisrael.com/unhcr...n-migrants-to-safe-countries-let-others-stay/

israel actually does send their unwanted immigrants to Europe. Muh greatest ally

 

[Richmma80]

Isn't that what Europeans want anyway? Let them send a billion Africans to Europe. The more the better. Weak people with no sense of self identity are replaced by the strong willed as is shown throughout history.

 

[K-Bag]

The former colonizers are getting colonized by third world countries, how ironic.

 

[Trotsky]

Lebanon and Jordan have been godsends, giving refuge to millions displaced by conflicts that the US and UK instigated. Yes, Lebanon should be getting compensated.

 

[Son of Jamin]

Lebanon and Jordan have been godsends, giving refuge to millions displaced by conflicts that the US and UK instigated. Yes, Lebanon should be getting compensated.

By the UK and the US?

Why the omission of Saudi Arabia? They have been heavily involved in the Syrian war for an example.

 

[Cuauhtemoc]

Lebanon and Jordan have been godsends, giving refuge to millions displaced by conflicts that the US and UK instigated. Yes, Lebanon should be getting compensated.

Or else we will send the refugees to...Sweden.

 

[Riptide]

So Europe should start deporting those illegals and cut any funds to that country. That problem is easy to solve. Kick the fake refugees out and they will stop coming. When they realize the trip isn’t worth it word will get around. The politicians really see us as stupid.

 

[rearnakedchoke]

The former colonizers are getting colonized by third world countries, how ironic.

Chickens coming home to roost?

 

[Cuauhtemoc]

So Europe should start deporting those illegals and cut any funds to that country. That problem is easy to solve. Kick the fake refugees out and they will stop coming. When they realize the trip isn’t worth it word will get around. The politicians really see us as stupid.

The problem is that Europe has laws, you can't just choose to deport people without breaking the law and they're slow to change. One of the problems of liberal democracy.
As soon as these people set foot in some Euro countries they have the right to an attorney, to be sent in front of a judge and all these human rights.
Italy deals with it by bribing migrants to move to Germany, Hungary set a physical barrier, Greece is so poor people do not want to stay anyway, but once they reach Austria, Germany, Sweden it's a different deal.

 

[Trotsky]

Or else we will send the refugees to...Sweden.

If they can't afford to house them, I would bet they'll send them to whatever country will take them.

By the UK and the US?

Why the omission of Saudi Arabia? They have been heavily involved in the Syrian war for an example.

Yes, Saudi Arabia as well should be taking in a larger share, although Saudi Arabia did not support the Iraq War or the Libyan intervention.

But, to be sure, I don't think the world should be held to the standards of a brutal theocratic hereditary monarchy.

 

[Cuauhtemoc]

If they can't afford to house them, I would bet they'll send them to whatever country will take them.



Yes, Saudi Arabia as well should be taking in a larger share, although Saudi Arabia did not support the Iraq War or the Libyan intervention.

But, to be sure, I don't think the world should be held to the standards of a brutal theocratic hereditary monarchy.

My point is just that the UK/US cause a war but they have no incentive to help since the refugees will not go there. Hezbollah is threatening to send refugees to a place that didn't cause the war in exchange for money.

 

[Bald1]

The former colonizers are getting colonized by third world countries, how ironic.

Chickens coming home to roost?

Care to guess which EU countries were actual colonial powers?

 

[Mendacious]

They saw how successful it was for Turkey

also dispels the myth that all refugees go to Europe when the majority are in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and Iran. Not one Gulf country in that list, strangely.

 

[Trotsky]

My point is just that the UK/US cause a war but they have no incentive to help since the refugees will not go there. Hezbollah is threatening to send refugees to a place that didn't cause the war in exchange for money.

Yes, the US is the GOAT piece of shit in the international community. It is known. That the US's hypocrisy and irresponsibility exists doesn't mean it should be given weight. Currently, Lebanon has 1 refugee for every 5 citizen. They granted refuge to so many despite already having a relatively weak economy and having had little part in the displacement. If they ended their refugee program, the crisis would reach catastrophic humanitarian levels again and, likely, a humanitarian-concerned country like Sweden would end up bearing the burden again, since the UK and US will not. They (Lebanon, and in the second scenario Sweden) should be compensated.

Also, "sending" them is misleading. They aren't catapulting them into the Eurozone or leaving them on doorsteps with notes. They're ceasing their own program.

 

[AlexDB9]

Gaddafi warned of this years ago...

 

[Mendacious]

So Europe should start deporting those illegals and cut any funds to that country. That problem is easy to solve. Kick the fake refugees out and they will stop coming. When they realize the trip isn’t worth it word will get around. The politicians really see us as stupid.

Middle eastern refugees aren’t the fake refugees

people don’t go to Lebanon and Jordan because they’re nice countries with lots of welfare

 

[Cuauhtemoc]

They saw how successful it was for Turkey

also dispels the myth that all refugees go to Europe when the majority are in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and Iran. Not one Gulf country in that list, strangely.

To be completely fair there are many Syrians in the gulf but they go as workers. They do not have the same protections as refugees but it's still pretty good to be in Saudi Arabia or UAE instead of Syria.

 

[K-Bag]

Care to guess which EU countries were actual colonial powers?

Japan and Greenland?

 

[Mendacious]

To be completely fair there are many Syrians in the gulf but they go as workers. They do not have the same protections as refugees but it's still pretty good to be in Saudi Arabia or UAE instead of Syria.

That isn’t fair at all to the Gulf countries, all it does is show that they will only take in people they can use.

Syrians have been in SA since long before the civil war. Somebody has to clean the toilets. Taking in workers is not charity, it’s a mutually beneficial relationship.