Syria rejects Lebanon's idea of refugee camps on border

Beirut, June 28 (IANS) Damascus Friday rejected the Lebanese government's suggestion of setting up refugee camps for displaced people along its borders with Syria.

The rejection came after Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil met ambassadors of the five permanent member states earlier in the day and discussed the possibility of setting up refugee camps along its borders.

The refugee camp idea was rejected by Syrian ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali during his talks with Bassil, Xinhua reported.

Karim said Syria was against setting up camps for the displaced Syrians, as they would be "able to go back to their homeland".

"Syria is a big country that can apprehend its entire people," he said. "Syria is the wide home that can provide the Syrians with all his or her needs."

According to the UN Higher Commission for Refugees, Lebanon now hosts over 1.1 million Syrian refugees. The World Bank estimates that the direct losses inflicted by the Syrian refugee issue on Lebanon's economy have amounted to about 7.5 billion dollars.