announce Minister of State Lebanese For displaced persons, Issam Sharaf El-Din, in the caretaker government, announced a government plan this week to start returning 15,000 Syrian refugees per month to SyriaHe justified this by saying that “the war is over and the country is safe.”
What is worrying here, other than that this step would constitute a clear violation of Lebanon’s international obligations, is that it is being implemented without the participation of UNHCR. Sharaf El-Din said the authorities are still planning to go forwardand asked UNHCR to suspend assistance for those who choose to return.
Regarding opposition activists, who would be at risk of arrest, torture and even death if returned to Syria, the minister suggested deporting them to third countries or promising the Syrian government “not to harm the Syrian state,” apparently on the false assumption that this would protect them from ill-treatment.
Contrary to the minister’s statements, Syria is not safe for returnees. Syrian refugees who returned between 2017 and 2021 from Lebanon and Jordan faced grave human rights violations and persecution at the hands of the Syrian government and its militias.
live up any forced return to Syria amounts to Lebanon’s violation of obligations not to practice refoulement – that is, forcing people to return to countries where they face a clear risk of torture or other forms of persecution.
The Syrian economy and infrastructure have also been devastated by more than ten years of conflict and sanctions. In the absence of reliable information networks for Syrians to make informed decisions about returns, and international aid agencies lacking sufficient access to monitor returns, countries like Lebanon hosting Syrian refugees should not force anyone to return.
As a party to the Convention against Torture, Lebanon is obligated not to return or extradite anyone at risk of torture. Lebanon is also bound by the customary international law principle of non-refoulement – that is, not to return people to places where they would be at risk of persecution.
International donor governments should assist host countries such as Lebanon by fully funding humanitarian assistance programs and resettling more Syrians residing in Lebanon; They should publicly address forced or forcible returns to Syria. By pursuing an agenda that is pushing hard for a comeback, including Decrees and Regulations designed To make the lives of Syrian refugees difficult To pressure them to leave, Lebanon is violating the rights of vulnerable people.