Seven human rights and humanitarian organizations calls on Lebanon to halt forced deportation of Syrian refugees
Seven human rights and humanitarian organizations issued a statement in which they called on Lebanon to halt forced deportation of Syrian refugees and cancel the new legal restrictions amid a wave of xenophobia.
The statement issued by the Amnesty International organization and six other organizations confirmed the importance of ensuring that Syrian refugees are not exposed to risk and that any assistance provided is not used to facilitate forced deportations.
The statement emphasized that the United States, the European Union, and donor states should clarify that violating the principle of non-refoulment will negatively impact on their bilateral relations with Lebanon.
Eight EU member states’ governments urged on Friday to reassess the situation in Syria, noting that the conditions are developing significantly.
The European Commission on May 2, sent US$1 billion in aid to boost the stability in the region and combat refugees smuggling operations.
EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said: “The aid will support the Lebanese army and providing equipment and trainings for border management.”
The issue of incitement against Syrian refugees has emerged again in Lebanon, despite rejecting it by some political parties and international organizations, which consider that the conditions for the return of refugees in safe ways are still not available.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights documented at least 4,634 cases of arbitrary arrest by the Assad regime against refugees who returned from countries of asylum to their areas of residence in Syria.
