The number of Syrian refugees registered with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon went down 4,000 in October, Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas has said.
But Derbas said the drop was not tied to a recent government ban on refugees fleeing the war next-door.
"UNHCR reports indicate that the number of refugees began to decrease in Lebanon, even though the decision regarding their entry was not being ultimately implemented,” Derbas said in remarks published Tuesday by the local daily An-Nahar.
He said a ministerial committee tasked with the Syrian refugee crisis would follow up on the decisions taken during the Berlin conference, in terms of the $2.2 billion grant to help Lebanon cope with the 2.2 million refugee burden.
Last month, Derbas announced that Lebanon would no longer accept refugees, but said the borders would remain open to urgent humanitarian cases and others crossing for transit purposes.
UNHCR Representative in Lebanon Ninette Kelley has said the decline in the number of refugees resulted from restrictive border measures.
