(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) The US on Monday said it is "very concerned" about new visa requirements for Syrians crossing into Lebanon.
Despite tense relations between the two countries at times, Lebanese and Syrians have always been able to travel across the border easily, but the heavy influx of refugees into Lebanon over the past four years appears to be changing that.
Having to obtain visas "will create additional challenges for refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict," State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters.
"We encourage the Government of Lebanon to coordinate closely with the UN in the development of criteria to ensure those fleeing violence and persecution are able to cross into Lebanon," she added. "We will continue to strongly encourage the governments of the region to provide refuge for asylum seekers." Psaki noted the Obama Administration is "very grateful to the governments and the people of Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq for hosting more than three million refugees from Syria in total. We recognize this is a tremendous challenge for their economies and public services." The US has provided more than USD three billion in aid to those countries in order to deal with the Syrian refugee crisis.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.