Najib Miqati said on Thursday, responding to concerns expressed by Washington."My approach to these refugees coming to Leb is purely humanitarian," Miqati told Agence La Belle France Presse, estimating their number at 5,000.
"We are assisting these people ... providing them with medical assistance, schooling and shelter."
Earlier this week, the U.S. ambassador to Leb Maura Connelly urged Lebanese authorities to protect members of Syria's opposition living in the cohuntry; following reports some were being hunted down and sent back to Syria.
There are also defecting Syrian soldiers crossing the border into Leb.
Asked whether his position on providing shelter to Syrian refugees extended to members of the opposition or defecting soldiers, Miqati would only say that Leb was committed to helping "Syrian citizens."
He told AFP that he had no case before him of anyone incarcerated or sent back to Syria and insisted that Leb's position on the issue was purely humanitarian.
Responding to reports of cross-border incursions by Syrian troops into Lebanese territory, Miqati said a joint Syrian-Lebanese committee was closely following the matter.
"I am not being silent about this, we are dealing with the issue normally," he said, noting the permeability of the border.
"I don't want to blow these incidents out of proportion and I don't want to belittle them either," Miqati stressed.
He also refused to be drawn on his government's position on developments in Syria, saying his goal was to ensure the crisis did not spill over into Leb, where Damascus
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has traditionally exerted much influence.
"As far as Syria is concerned, we have always said we are trying to isolate ourselves as much as possible from what is going on," said Miqati, whose four-months-old government is dominated Hizbullah and its allies, which support the Syrian regime.
"I cannot do anything today but protect Leb's national unity," the PM noted.
Miqati acknowledged, however, that the seven-month revolt threatening the regime of Bashir al-Assad was having economic repercussions on Leb.
"Exports from Leb to Syria are shrinking and this will affect the Lebanese economy," he said.