19 NGOs call for halt to deportation of Syrians from Lebanon
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A group of 19 human rights and advocacy organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW), have called for an immediate halt of deportations of Syrians from Lebanon in an open letter.
Lebanon is home to roughly two million Syrians who fled from the violence of Syria’s civil war. Since the beginning of April, the Lebanese Armed Forces have forcefully deported hundreds, including some of the around 800,000 Syrians that are under UNHCR protection.
The deportations follow a widespread xenophobic rhetoric taking hold of the country, emanating from a number of the country’s politicians.
“The Lebanese authorities have deliberately mismanaged the country’s economic crisis, impoverishing millions and denying them their basic rights. But instead of adopting much-needed reforms, they have instead resorted to scapegoating refugees for their own failures,” an Amnesty report opines.
According to a joint letter released by the NGOs, the Lebanese Armed Forces have conducted raids across the country, carrying deportees to the border and handling them directly to Syrian authorities, often without being able to contact a lawyer or appeal the decision.
Some Syrians have been arrested or have been disappeared upon their return, the advocacy group says.
“Lebanon should halt summary deportations to Syria, which are in breach of the principle of non-refoulement,” the open letter concludes. “Authorities should refrain from imposing discriminatory measures and from using derogatory language against Syrian refugees.”
Moreover, the human rights organizations also point a finger at the international community, which has failed to resettle Syrians in Lebanon and not provided enough assistance to the country.