Lebanon has resumed deporting Syrians in its country to their country, after a “racist” campaign against which Syrians were subjected throughout the previous period, in light of the spread of reminders from international bodies that Syria is still “unsafe.”
On May 14, 2024, the Lebanese General Directorate of Public Security re-operated two “voluntary return” flights for Syrian refugees, from Lebanon to Syria, which included 300 people, and other flights will likely occur during the coming period.
The United Nations Commission of Inquiry in Syria stated, in a post on the X platform, on May 14, 2024, that Syria remains an unsafe country for return, and that civilians are affected by the absence of the rule of law and lack of security.
On May 2, 2024, the Commission of Inquiry published that arbitrary arrest, disappearance, and torture, in addition to the lack of the rule of law, are continuing in Syria, and they amount to “war crimes.”
Amnesty International, May 13, 2024, expressed its concern about what is happening to Syrians in Lebanon in terms of “voluntary return,” while Syria is still considered “unsafe.”
Amnesty documented the harsh conditions that Syrians face, whether in Lebanon or after their return to their country, as they suffer from torture, sexual violence, forced disappearance, and arbitrary arrest.
In a statement dated May 15, 2024, the Lebanese Forces Party accused Amnesty of misleading the facts with the aim of keeping Syrians in Lebanon.
On May 13, 2024, the Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, called for opening the sea towards Europe to Syrian refugees, in order to find a solution to the refugee crisis.
International law prohibits “constructive” refoulement, which occurs when states use indirect means to force individuals to return to a place where they are at real risk of serious human rights violations.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the principle of nonrefoulement prohibits the transfer of a person from one authority to another when there are good reasons to believe that the person would face the risk of being subjected to a violation of some of his fundamental rights. This principle is recognized in particular when there is a possibility of the risk of torture or other torture occurring. Ill-treatment, arbitrary deprivation of life, or persecution on grounds of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or adherence to a political opinion, although it includes a number of other reasons determined according to the treaties ratified by the countries concerned.
The Same Justice organization states that the principle of non-forced return of refugees is explicitly stipulated in the provisions of international humanitarian laws, and calls for protecting the rights of Syrian refugees in neighboring countries, and not returning them “forcibly” to their countries, stressing at the same time that security restrictions and intimidation, Which forces refugees to return against their will to their country, can be considered a form of forced return in violation of international humanitarian laws.
