Palestinian-Syrian activists issued an appeal to international bodies and humanitarian organizations concerned with the protection of refugee rights and the UNRWA’s Protection in Lebanon to move to take action to stop plans to repatriate Palestinian-Syrian refugees from Lebanon.
The appeal, which was published on social media sites, indicated that these plans would ruin Palestinian-Syrian families living in Lebanon as their lives would be at huge risk if they were forcibly returned to Syria.
Commenting on announcement by the advisor to Lebanese foreign affairs minister, Ola Boutros about ongoing coordination between the Lebanese state and the Palestinian factions to deport Palestinian-Syrian refugees, the activists described the announcement as aimed at putting increasing pressure the Palestinian-Syrian refugees living in Lebanon.
Efforts by relief groups and organizations as well as the UNRWA are falling short of providing Palestinian-Syrian refugees living in Lebanon with the necessary humanitarian services and legal protection. The lack of adequate support prompted many refugees to return to Syria to refugee camps that await rehabilitation. Others chose to take the perilous journey to Europe onboard the “death boats” than to go back to Syria and risk themselves being detained by the Assad regime.
Last week, the Action Group for Palestinians of Syria (AGPS) said that at least 563 Palestinian-Syrians refugees have been killed under torture in the prisons of the Assad since March 2011, adding that well over 1,711 more are stilled detained.
The Group said it had documented the arrest of 1,680 Palestinian-Syrians since March 2011, including 106 women. It estimated that at least 1,712 Palestinian-Syrians are still held in the prisons of the Assad regime which continues to withhold information about their fate and whereabouts.
Palestinian factions close to the Assad regime have been pushing for the return of Palestinian-Syrian refugees to Syria in coordination with pro-regime Lebanese officials. In addition to the fact that Dara’a and Yarmouk refugee camps have almost been completely destroyed, hundreds of Palestinian-Syrians face arrest on their return as they are wanted for compulsory military service or wanted by the Assad regime’s security forces. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
