Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition
Department of Media and Communications
May 15, 2024
The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) holds the Lebanese government responsible for the safety of any Syrian refugee deported from Lebanon. Despite warnings about the dangers of sending refugees to areas controlled by the Assad regime and assurances that the regime’s brutal actions persist, Lebanon has persisted in deportations. The SOC condemns the lack of effective measures by the United Nations and influential regional countries to protect Syrian refugees from deportation and repeated violations.
The Lebanese government’s ongoing human rights violations, insecurity, absence of law, and forced deportations expose returnees to further crimes and violations, including arrest, torture, and murder by the Assad regime. This constitutes complicity in the regime’s crimes, especially as returnees are treated as criminals deserving imprisonment, with ample evidence of the regime’s violations against deportees.
The SOC emphasizes that Syrian refugees eagerly await a safe, voluntary, and dignified return to their homeland, achievable only through a political solution in line with Security Council resolutions. The SOC also warns that the continued occupation of Syrian towns and villages by the Hezbollah terrorist militia hinders refugees’ return.
The SOC asserts that the return of Syrian refugees worldwide depends on the international community’s commitment to achieving political transition and fully implementing UN Resolution 2254 (2015).
