Lebanon: concerns about the deportation of Syrian refugees

According to the Associated Press, the recently announced plan of the Lebanese government to deport 15,000 Syrian refugees every month, at a time when Europe is grappling with millions of Ukrainian refugees who have fled the months-long war in their country, more people. leads to migration to Europe.

The Lebanese army and other security agencies report weekly that they have thwarted the efforts of migrants on the northern coast. At least seven migrants drowned in clashes between Syrian migrant boats and the Lebanese army last month.

Life in the camp has become more complex. On the other hand, the covid-19 pandemic and Lebanon's crippling economic crisis have forced refugees to go under the burden of loans and debts to get food, medicine, and rent.

Lebanon, a country of five million people, says it can no longer take in more than a million Syrian refugees and is determined to deport them within the next few months, despite opposition from the United Nations and human rights groups.

In recent months, Lebanese ministers have suggested that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees redirect aid to Syria to improve the situation and encourage their return.

Lama Faqih, director of the Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch, stated that the organization has recorded cases of Syrian refugees who, after their return, have been detained, tortured, and subjected to flagrant human rights violations despite receiving security clearances from the Syrian government. have encountered

Essam Sharafuddin, the cabinet minister who handles refugee issues, said in an interview earlier this month that the UN's refusal to send aid to Syria is preventing refugees from returning. He also said that reports of the imminent start of layoffs were a propaganda "fear campaign" and had no basis in fact.

 

_{Source: AP}