Lebanon, Cyprus expel, force back refugees to Syria – HRW
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Human Rights Watch (HRW) released on Tuesday a report stating that Lebanon and Cyprus prevent refugees from reaching Europe and deport them back to Syria, where they face danger.
HRW highlighted in the report that many Syrians are eager to escape Lebanon for Europe due to dire conditions. The Lebanese army, however, has been intercepting these refugees, forcibly returning them to Syria.
Similarly, the Cypriot Coast Guard has been sending back Syrian refugees who reach Cyprus without considering their status or the risks they face if sent back to Lebanon.
Once in Lebanon, many of these refugees are quickly deported again to Syria by the Lebanese authorities, HRW added.
Nadia Hardman, refugee and migrant rights researcher at HRW said, “By preventing Syrian refugees from leaving to seek protection elsewhere, and then forcibly returning them to Syria, Lebanon violates the fundamental prohibition on returning a refugee to face persecution, while the European Union helps pay the bills.”
“Cyprus also violates this prohibition by pushing refugees back to Lebanon where they risk being sent to danger in Syria,” she noted.
HRW pointed out that the EU has provided significant financial support for managing the Lebanon border. However, they have not implemented effective guarantees to ensure that these funds are not used by groups that violate human rights or that they do not help continue these violations.
“Instead of outsourcing abuses, the EU and other donors should immediately establish direct, independent mechanisms to monitor human rights compliance in Lebanese border-control operations,” Hardman said.
Figures released by the government of Lebanon in December 2023 estimate that the country hosts approximately 1.5 million Syrian refugees, of whom 800,000 are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).