Hariri is unclear on fate of 15,291 Lebanese to be deported from Germany

Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on September 25 denied that agreements with the German government were made to deport Lebanese citizens back to Lebanon.

Responding to inquiries made by Tyre MP Abdullah Qasir in July, "Hariri said that the German government had decided to deport 15,291 Lebanese out of the 55,602 living in Germany."

Hariri said that the Lebanese and German governments held two meetings to study the issue.

"During both meetings, the Lebanese side reiterated that it would have to study the files of the Lebanese that Germany intended to deport before agreeing to give them entry visas," he said.

Hariri said that, according to the Foreign Ministry, 15,291 people were ordered to be deported, 13,774 have attained legal residence permits and 18,893 have had applications rejected, but were still in Germany.

"Despite the German government's insistence that we issue passports to those who have been ordered deported, our embassy in Germany only delivered 1,800 passports," he said.