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Return of Refugees from Lebanon Turns into Arrest Trap by Syrian Regime
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Syrian refugees face a harsh dilemma between staying in Lebanon amid deteriorating living conditions or risking their lives by returning to Syria
The Syrian Network for Human Rights revealed in a new report that the Syrian regime has arrested at least 26 citizens, including one woman, during their attempts to return from Lebanon to Syria, with one of them dying under torture.
The human rights organization reviewed in its report titled "Suffering of Return: Grave Violations Face Syrian Refugees Returning from Lebanon" the period between September 23 and October 25, 2024.
The report highlighted the escalating suffering of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, where they face increasing difficulties in securing their basic needs of food, housing, and healthcare.
Fadel Abdul Ghani, director of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, stated: "In the absence of any measures ensuring the protection of returnees' rights and safety, Syrian refugees returning from Lebanon face security and legal challenges that require establishing real and effective mechanisms to ensure the protection of their rights and prevent continued violations."
The Network's statistics documented the regime forces' arrest of 208 forced returnees since early 2024, including two children and six women, while six detainees died under torture.
The report showed various violations faced by returnees, from arbitrary arrest and forced disappearance to torture and forced recruitment, alongside financial extortion and discrimination in humanitarian aid distribution.
The Network monitored four returnees being taken for mandatory or reserve military service, while one detainee's body was delivered to his family after being eliminated under torture.
The human rights organization appealed to the international community to take urgent measures to protect returnees and ensure their basic rights, emphasizing the Syrian regime's continued issuance of legislation allowing it to seize the properties of refugees and forcibly displaced persons.
Levant-Agencies
