CLDH denounces emerging cases of exploitation and forced labor involving post December 2024 Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Since the fall of the Al-Assad regime in December 2024 and the subsequent attacks targeting minorities along the Syrian coast, an estimated 100,000 Syrians have fled to Lebanon, fearing violence and persecution based on their religious affiliation. Although Lebanon already hosts a large Syrian refugee population, those who have arrived since December 2024 face heightened risks of exploitation and live in constant fear, often remaining confined to their homes or to the limited communities they fled to, according to multiple sources whose claims warrant further investigation by the judicial authorities. 

We’ve received credible information about Syrian refugees who fled to Lebanon post December 2024. They reported that some people offered them a place to stay for free, but only in exchange for unpaid labor under extremely exhausting conditions. When they attempted to leave or request payment, employers threatened to report them to the GSO, exploiting their lack of legal documents. Lebanon should take immediate measures to prevent and punish these acts, in accordance with its international obligations. Notably, the Forced Labour Convention, ratified by Lebanon in 1977, provides in Article 25 that: “The illegal exaction of forced or compulsory labour shall be punishable as a penal offence, and it shall be the obligation of any Member ratifying this Convention to ensure that the penalties imposed by law are adequate and are strictly enforced.” These acts also violate Articles 2 and 7 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), to which Lebanon is a party, which emphasize the right of everyone to just and favorable conditions of work without discrimination. In addition, under Lebanese law, these acts may constitute the crime of human trafficking pursuant to Article 586 of the Penal Code, as amended by Law No. 164/2011 on the Punishment of the Crime of Human Trafficking, due to the coercive and compulsory nature of the labor imposed on these individuals under threat. 

Additionally, the CLDH team received many complaints from newly displaced refugees who attempted to contact UNHCR through the hotline dedicated to new arrivals, to no avail.  

CLDH stresses that these acts are a direct consequence of the Lebanese Government’s chronic mismanagement of the refugee file and its adoption of biased, xenophobic policies. Such approaches have deepened social tensions, fuelling distrust and creating a dangerous rift between Lebanese communities and refugees. Instead of offering protection to vulnerable communities living in Lebanon, the government is actively reinforcing a hostile environment, normalizing abuse, emboldening perpetrators, and leaving refugees without access to safety, documentation, or essential services. This deliberate neglect not only exposes refugees to exploitation and coercion but also undermines social stability and Lebanon’s obligations under international law. In fact, despite the fact that Lebanon did not ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, it remains obliged to protect migrants and refugees on its territory, particularly under Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). which safeguards the liberty and security of every individual, and Article 26, which emphasizes the right to non-discrimination. 

 

According to CLDH’s social workers in the Bekaa region, Syrian refugees arriving starting December 2024 are particularly vulnerable, as they face racism and discrimination not only from segments of the Lebanese population, but also from earlier Syrian refugee communities, who often perceive them as being pro-regime and refuse to support with shelters, and access to services. This dual stigma has deepened their fear of leaving their homes and has further isolated them from existing support networks, information channels, and community groups relied on by long-established refugees. CLDH team members report that many are so fearful and marginalized that they avoid going outside altogether. 

Additionally, sources indicate that in some regions it is nearly impossible to secure housing or shelter, or even enrol children in school, without the involvement of dominant political parties. Such practices effectively turn basic rights into tools of political control, leaving refugees dependent on partisan networks and increasing their exposure to exploitation and coercion. Such allegations constitute a violation of Lebanon’s international obligations under the ICESCR, which in Article 11 guarantees everyone the right to an adequate standard of living, including food, clothing, and housing. It also breaches the provisions of th Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), ratified by Lebanon, which in Article 28 emphasizes the right of all children to education without discrimination. CLDH highlight the need for urgent, impartial investigations into these allegations. 

 

Based on the aforementioned, CLDH underscores the need to: 

  • Immediately investigate and halt all cases of forced labor, exploitation, and coercive practices targeting Syrian refugees, including threats of denunciation to authorities in alignment with Lebanon's international obligation under Forced labor convention and ICESCR. 

  • Ensure that all refugees, regardless of date of arrival, have safe, non-discriminatory access to administrative procedures, including documentation, residency, and legal protection, in alignment with Lebanon’s international obligation under ICCPR. 

  • Adopt protection-oriented policies rather than punitive or discriminatory measures, and refrain from actions that increase refugees’ vulnerability or risk of refoulement. 

  • Strengthen and adequately staff the UNHCR hotline for new arrivals to ensure timely response and effective referral pathways, particularly for those facing exploitation. 

  • Expand UNHCR’s monitoring of protection risks among newly arrived refugees and establish a rapid response mechanism for cases involving forced labor.  

  • Ensure that access to housing, education, and essential services is not conditioned on political affiliation, in alignment with Lebanon’s international obligation under ICESCR.