Situation of the Lebanese civilian population fleeing the country
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 2 February 1990 (29th Sitting) (see Doc. 6155, report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography, Rapporteur : Mr Flückiger). Text adopted by the Assembly on 2 February 1990 (29th Sitting).
- Thesaurus
The Assembly :
1. Condemns both the bomb attack which, on 22 November 1989, cost President Moawad and many Lebanese civilians their lives, and the taking of civilians, not involved in the conflict, as hostages ;
2. Points out that every worsening of the Lebanese conflict has been accompanied by large civilian population movements, both within the country and towards member states of the Council of Europe, particularly Cyprus, as well as towards the United States and Canada ;
3. Notes that, despite the considerable assistance given by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and by other humanitarian organisations, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), some of these displaced people are in great need ;
4. Deplores, in particular, that in these circumstances, the ICRC's action is hindered by the inadmissible kidnapping of two Swiss delegates, MM. Emanuel Christen and Elio Erriquez ;
5. Observes that the legal status of the Lebanese who have arrived in the member states of the Council of Europe is not always easy to establish ;
6. Notes that the vast majority of Lebanese expatriates wish to return to Lebanon as soon as circumstances permit ;
7. Points out, however, that a number of young Lebanese, because of their refusal to serve in a militia or an armed group, find themselves in grave danger, which prompts them to flee their country and to apply for asylum in European states ;
8. Repeats its appeal for the restoration of peace in Lebanon and for conditions enabling the Lebanese state to fully exercise its national sovereignty, the only solution to end the sufferings of civilians in all the Lebanese communities ;
9. Invites the governments of member states of the Council of Europe :
9.1 to grant Lebanese civilians, at their request, temporary residence and work permits, renewable in the light of developments in the Lebanese conflict ;
9.2 to give sympathetic consideration, in close co-operation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to the granting of asylum under the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees or, if this is not possible, for humanitarian reasons, to those Lebanese people who request it ;
9.3 to show solidarity with the Lebanese civilian population displaced within the country, by giving the humanitarian organisations that care for these people the means they need to accomplish their task ;
9.4 to consult together in order to improve security for members of these organisations when carrying out their duties in the field.
