Image source: flickr
On May 17, 2024, Amnesty International called on the Jordanian authorities to immediately stop the forced deportation of two detained refugees to Syria.
Amnesty stated that Jordan must immediately halt the forced deportation of the two Syrian refugees who are believed to be “facing real risks of severe human rights violations if returned to Syria,” where deported refugees face the danger of persecution, torture, other forms of ill-treatment, and arbitrary detention.
Jordanian authorities arrested both Atiyah Mohammed Abu Salem (24 years old) and Wael Al-Ashi (31 years old) in April 2024 during a widespread crackdown on pro-Gaza demonstrations. The Ministry of Interior later issued deportation orders against them.
Aya Majzoub, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Regional Office at Amnesty International, said, “The Jordanian authorities must provide legal grounds for the detention of Atiyah Mohammed Abu Salem and Wael Al-Ashi or release them immediately. In any case, they should revoke the deportation order against them or risk blatantly violating their obligations under international law.”
On April 22, the Administrative Court in Amman rejected an urgent request to halt the deportation of the two young men, while the court is considering an appeal against the deportation orders filed by a legal aid organization on behalf of the detainees.
Deportation orders in Jordan fall under the authority of the Ministry of Interior and are implemented through the relevant administrative governor’s office according to the law. Articles 32 and 37 of Law No. 24 of 1973 (Residence and Foreigners’ Affairs Law) stipulate that the Minister of Interior or the administrative governor may deport foreigners due to their “illegal presence.” Article 19 of the same law allows the Minister of Interior to cancel a foreigner’s residence permit without stating reasons.
In a report dated September 29, 2023, Human Rights Watch considered Syria still unsafe for the return of refugees. HRW also documented that Syrian security forces committed arbitrary detention, kidnapping, torture, and killing of refugees who returned to Syria between 2017 and 2021. In July, and found that returnees were tortured while detained by Syrian military intelligence and were conscripted into the Syrian military reserves.
Same Justice organization notes that the principle of non-refoulement of refugees is explicitly stated in the provisions of international humanitarian laws, calling for the protection of Syrian refugees’ rights in neighboring countries and against forced return to their homeland.
Same Justice also emphasized that coercion, security tightening, and intimidation, which force refugees to return against their will to their country, can be considered a form of forced return that violates international humanitarian laws.
