Coordinator of the Working Group for Refugees and Displaced Persons in the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), Ahmad Baccora, voiced deep concern over ongoing violations against Syrian refugees in Lebanon, urging urgent international intervention to ensure Lebanese authorities uphold their legal obligations towards Syrian refugees and protect them.
“We are troubled by credible reports indicating that in recent months, Lebanese authorities have conducted unlawful deportations, arbitrary arrests, and other violations against Syrian refugees,” stated Baccora in a release, highlighting that forced deportations of individuals at risk of persecution contravene the fundamental principle of non-refoulement.
Human Rights Watch recently reported that Lebanese military and security services had deported Syrian opposition activists and dissident army members, potentially subjecting them to severe treatment upon return to Syria. The organization cited distressing instances of arbitrary detention of refugees, with some handed over to Syrian intelligence services known for their brutality.
Baccora highlighted the deportation of Rifaat Al-Faleh, a defector from the Assad regime forces, in January following his arrest for lacking residency documents. Reliable accounts suggest that Al-Faleh is now held in the notorious Military Intelligence Division 235 in Damascus, also known as the Palestine Branch. Concerns also arose regarding reports of a Syrian man allegedly tortured by Lebanese intelligence officers to extract a false confession of ties to terrorist groups after being detained during a peaceful demonstration.
Expressing unequivocal condemnation, Baccora emphasized that mistreatment, illegal deportation, and potential peril faced by Syrian refugees are unacceptable and flagrant violations by Lebanon of its international law obligations.
Baccora urged UN agencies and donor countries providing assistance to Lebanese security forces to take proactive measures, ensuring aid does not facilitate human rights violations against refugees.
Violations such as torture, illegal deportation, and forced return tarnish Lebanon’s human rights record, and all countries supporting Lebanese authorities must wield their influence to ensure legal compliance and prevent further violations against this vulnerable group,” asserted Baccora.
Baccora underscored the necessity for strict monitoring mechanisms, public human rights impact assessments, and advocacy to compel Lebanon to permit independent monitoring to safeguard refugee protection.
Concluding his remarks, Baccora stressed that any repatriations to Syria must be entirely voluntary and conducted with safety and dignity when conditions allow—conditions yet unmet due to the ongoing conflict.
United Nations data reveal that over 13,700 Syrians were summarily deported or barred from entering Lebanon for asylum in 2023. Additionally, alarming reports have surfaced of heightened violence, threats, and discriminatory restrictions imposed by Lebanese municipalities on Syrian refugees in recent weeks.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
