The Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) strongly condemns the escalating frequency of indiscriminate deportations. Between November 2023 and March 2024, the Center's legal team assisted 54 individuals facing deportation, marking a significant 450% increase from the 12 beneficiaries supported during the same period last year. The Center denounces the incitement and racism directed towards refugees by certain politicians, media outlets, and official entities, which exacerbate tensions between the host and refugee communities, contributing to increased violence in society.
Indiscriminate deportation of refugees exposes them to numerous risks, including enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary detention, and ill-treatment. Individuals are deported regardless of whether they were persecuted or wanted by the Syrian authorities due to their opinions or opposition to the Syrian regime.
The recent report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), titled "The Dire Human Rights Situation Facing Syrian Returnees," documents violations of international human rights standards protecting freedom of movement, international human rights law, and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The report details numerous violations related to freedom of expression, access to legal documentation, the right to be recognized as a person before the law, torture, exploitation, gender-based violence, deaths in detention, and arbitrary arrests, underscoring the fact that Syria is not safe for return.
While the state seeks to address undocumented migration, its efforts inadvertently expose victims to the aforementioned risks, failing to deter smugglers while survivors of death boats are being deported. The state has not guaranteed the legal protection that it has committed to secure in accordance with Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which stipulates that "everyone shall be free to leave any country, including his private liberty", a principle incorporated into the Lebanese constitution’s introduction. The freedom to leave any country is essential because it is a condition for the effective exercise of other rights, such as the right to asylum, dignity, or even life.
Deportations frequently coincide with hate speech campaigns targeting refugees, such as the recent "UNDO THE DAMAGE" media initiative, which falsely claims that Syrian refugees constitute 40% of Lebanon's population without substantiating evidence. Additionally, racist rhetoric is on the rise among Lebanese politicians, exemplified by Ghassan al-Hasbani's Tabligh application, created to combat "illegal presence in Beirut." Furthermore, many municipalities implement discriminatory measures against refugees, including restricting their ability to rent homes and preventing them from entering public places.
CLDH vehemently rejects hate speech and disinformation campaigns targeting refugees to influence Lebanese public opinion. It also condemns indiscriminate deportations, which endanger the lives of refugees.
