Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil spoke at a joint press conference with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in Beirut on May 15. The German guest talked about the situation of displaced Syrians in Lebanon, and about the need to help the Lebanese state carry such a heavy burden.

When it was Bassil’s turn to reply, he was surprisingly honest by saying, “We are concerned about the strategy followed by some countries to choose the people they receive in their countries based on certain specifications such as culture and religion. For us, such attitudes, in addition to direct financial support for displaced people in Lebanon, are nonproductive positions. On the one hand, [these positions] encourage the displaced not to return to their homeland, and on the other, contribute to emptying the region of its essence; that is, the diversity of religious groups.”

This was a clear statement that involves frank criticism of countries, especially European ones such as Germany, that deal with the issue of displaced Syrians in Lebanon. However, what are the reasons behind it?

Lebanese Foreign Ministry sources following up on the issue told Al-Monitor that what Bassil said to his counterpart Steinmeier reveals a sensitive issue that the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been closely looking into for some time now.