Image source: hrw.org
An official from the International Commission of Inquiry stated that Syrian refugees in neighboring countries are facing an “increasing” risk of deportation and forced return to Syria.
During an interactive dialogue at the 56th session of the Human Rights Council held in Geneva, Paulo Pinheiro, Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, explained that Syrian refugees are at risk of deportation from neighboring countries and forced return to their homeland. He emphasized that these individuals face the risk of arrest, disappearance, or returning to find their homes and farms destroyed, asserting that “there is no means of livelihood there”.
Bill Frelick, Director of the Refugee and Migrant Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, noted that the countries hosting Syrian refugees have been promoting the idea of “safe zones” within Syria where refugees can be returned. He described these so-called safe zones as often unsafe and even “treacherous,” despite the host countries’ promotion of them.
Host Countries
Syrian refugees in neighboring countries suffer from the threat of deportation and live under harsh conditions aimed at pressuring them to leave these countries and return “voluntarily” to their homeland.
In Lebanon, the authorities in the town of Bekfaya in the Koura District completed the eviction of Syrian refugees and dismantled their tents on July 3, 2024, under the supervision of municipal officials, following a warning issued in early June 2024.
Lebanon resumed the deportation of Syrian refugees after a period marked by “racist” campaigns against them, despite international reminders that Syria remains “unsafe”.
In Turkey, there has been an increase in document checks for Syrian refugees. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that 103,045 Syrians “voluntarily” returned to their homeland last year, bringing the total number of returnees from 2016 to 2024 to 658,463.
Interception of Refugee Boats
Cyprus has implemented strict legal measures to prevent the influx of refugees via the Mediterranean, intercepting boats from Lebanon and deporting the occupants. The authorities have also suspended all asylum applications from Syrians on their territory.
Amnesty International on September 7, 2023, urged Cypriot authorities to protect refugees and migrants from racist attacks and to take immediate action to address these issues.
Human Rights Watch reported that the Cypriot coast guard intercepted, abandoned, expelled, or returned more than 200 migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers from Lebanon in the first week of September 2020, without giving them the opportunity to apply for asylum.
Safe Zones in Syria
On June 24, 2024, “The National” newspaper revealed that the Czech Republic had sent a European mission to Syria to establish a safe zone.
This initiative is the first of its kind since the Syrian revolution and the subsequent increase in asylum seekers in Europe. The Czech initiative aims to deport Syrian refugees to safe areas where they will not be harmed, according to their perspective.
However, a Human Rights Watch report indicated that Syria remains unsafe for the return of refugees.
“Same Justice” organization states that the principle of non-refoulement is explicitly enshrined in international humanitarian law, calling for the protection of Syrian refugees’ rights in neighboring countries and opposing their forced return to their homeland. The organization emphasizes that security tightening and intimidation, which force refugees to return against their will, can be considered a form of refoulement in violation of international humanitarian law.
