168 Syrians deported from Lebanon in April in violation of international law

The Lebanese government deported 168 Syrian refugees in April in violation of the principle of non-refoulement, a report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said on Thursday.

The forced deportation of Syrian refugees is in violation of the Refugee Convention in 1951 as they are likely to face abuse or torture upon return, the report said.

Lebanon hosts around 2 million Syrians, most of whom fled the Syrian civil war which started in 2011.

The Lebanese government has carried out raids and increased security checkpoints throughout the country since 17 April which resulted in the arrests of mass detentions of Syrians living in the country.

The majority of those deported were "severely beaten and humiliated" during their arrests and were prevented from taking their personal belongings with them, according to the report.

Most of those who were deported were Syrians who entered Lebanon illegally since 2019 or Syrians with expired residency.

The New Arab asked a Lebanese army spokesperson for a comment on these allegations but received no reply as of the time of publishing.

Upon reaching the Syrian border, the Syrian regime refused to allow the refugees back into Syria because Lebanese security forces had not coordinated with them prior, the report claimed.

The Syrian refugees were then subject to "looting and extortion" by Syrian regime forces.

Some were able to return to Lebanon in exchange for around US$100 via smuggling routes supervised by regime security forces, the report alleges.

It is unclear why Lebanon has initiated deportation now and Lebanese officials have remained mum on the topic.

The deportations and the ensuing debate around them, however, have kicked off a wave of anti-Syrian sentiment in the country.

Lebanon has in the past had initiated voluntary return programs, but only a small number of Syrians have participated, fearing persecution at home.

Lebanese security agencies have periodically led security crackdowns against Syrians in the country but not on a sustained basis.

Human rights monitors have condemned the forcible deportation of Syrians, with Amnesty International urging the Lebanese government to stop the practice on Monday.

Amnesty International warned that refugees could face torture in Syria, and have reported that already one Syrian, a defected army officer, was arrested upon his return.