BEIRUT, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Minister of the Displaced Issam Charafeddine on Wednesday urged to open the country's sea ports to allow Syrian refugees to leave for Europe.

The minister made the call against the backdrop of a lack of support from the international community to secure Syrian refugees' return to their homeland, according to local media.

In an interview with the local newspaper Al-Joumhouria, Charafeddine also called on the security forces to "turn a blind eye to" the ships that transport the displaced to the European coasts in a safe and secure way, stressing that the political refugees' sea voyages toward Europe are "legal" as stipulated by international law.

Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita, with an estimated 1.5-2 million Syrian refugees living in the country.

Lebanese officials have repeatedly insisted on returning Syrian refugees to their homeland, saying hosting such a large number of Syrian refugees has weighed heavily on Lebanon's already ailing economy since 2019. Enditem

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