Salwa Aksoy, a member of the political committee of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) and coordinator of the Commission for the Affairs of Detainees and Missing Persons, expressed deep concern over the Lebanese government’s collaboration with the Assad regime in forcibly deporting Syrian refugees from Lebanon. Aksoy emphasized that the SOC and its specialized committees are keen on exposing the Lebanese government’s insistence on deporting Syrian refugees, who have already been uprooted from their homes by the regime.
Despite numerous warnings from the United Nations, international outcry, and calls from global organizations to halt forced deportations of Syrian refugees due to the risk of torture and persecution upon their return, the Lebanese authorities persist in deporting refugees to regime-controlled areas from which they fled years ago in fear for their lives and the safety of their loved ones.
Aksoy underscored that the actions of the Lebanese authorities flagrantly violate international laws and norms, and contradict the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as they engage with the Assad regime to carry out these deportations. She further emphasized that the Lebanese government bears responsibility if the deportees are subjected to arrest and torture upon reaching the regime-controlled areas.
These concerns arose following statements made by Issam Sharaf al-Din, the Lebanese Minister of the Displaced, who announced preparations for a visit to Damascus to discuss “important issues, including the Syrian refugee crisis.” He indicated that his country intends to pursue “safe deportation” of Syrian refugees back to their home country.
Numerous local and international human rights organizations have repeatedly warned about the perils of repatriating Syrian refugees from Lebanon without the implementation of real political change in Syria, which is necessary to address the root causes of their displacement from their cities and villages.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
