More than 300,000 civilians have fled Syria, according to the United Nations – spread throughout Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon.

With winter approaching and crowded camps, they are living in difficult conditions. The U.N. estimates that the number of refugees could double by December.

Yet on Monday, Syria’s foreign minister, Walid Moallem, went before the U.N. General Assembly and said that the refugee crisis has been “fabricated.”

“I appeal from this podium to those Syrian citizens to return to their towns and villages where the Syrian State will guarantee their safe return,” he said.

Ali Velshi, sitting in for Christiane Amanpour, spoke with CNN’s Ivan Watson from Turkey, where tensions are rising among the more-than 80,000 refugees.

And from Lebanon, opposition activist Karam Nachar responds to the Syrian foreign minister’s claim that the crisis is fabricated.