Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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There are approximately 1.5 million Syrians in Lebanon. That is creating tensions. I have been to Lebanon on a number of occasions in the past year and invariably the issue is raised by the foreign minister that the European Union and others are saying that Syrians in Lebanon are not in a position to go back to Syria because it is not safe for them.

The Lebanese counter by saying it is safe for them. One has to acknowledge that in a population of 5 million, 1.5 million is an enormous number of migrants to absorb and work with. UNRWA is vital in all of this. More generally, migration pressures on countries like Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt are simply enormous, which is sometimes not appreciated in this part of the world. As Syria starts to stabilise, the EU position is that Syrians are not in a position to go to it back right now because they believe it is not safe for them to go back.

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