Lebanon: Alarming Rise in Attacks and Forced Deportations of Syrian Refugees

Lebanon witnessed a significant escalation in its security campaign against Syrian refugees between July 17 and 24, including shootings, arrests, and forced displacement. This came amid increasing pressure and rising security tensions in areas such as the Bekaa Valley, Nabatieh, and Batroun.

The Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR) documented a group of Syrian refugees being shot at from an unknown vehicle in the town of Batloun-Al Ali, seriously wounding one refugee who was subsequently hospitalized. The incident resulted in a mass exodus of Syrian families, who left the town amidst heightened security tensions and a heavy military presence.

The Lebanese Forces launched an arrest campaign in the town of Mansourieh, Metn District, where 169 Syrian refugees were detained in an unfinished building and deported back to Syria without due process or consideration for their humanitarian conditions.

64 Syrian Refugees Arrested

According to the Center, units from the Lebanese Army and Military Intelligence carried out a raid in the town of Dahr al-Ahmar in Rashaya, arresting 64 Syrian refugees, most of whom were registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)—including men, women, and children. Three motorcycles were also confiscated, and the detainees were referred for investigation.

The Lebanese Army announced that it had arrested 229 Syrian refugees on charges of illegal entry during raids and checkpoints in various areas. They are currently being investigated under judicial supervision.

Syrian refugee Bashar A. M. (registered with UNHCR) was subjected to severe physical assault, including beatings and torture, during a security raid in Chekka, Batroun District. At the time of writing, authorities had not issued any official comment regarding the arrest or ill-treatment.

A clash also broke out between Lebanese youths and Syrian refugees in Kfar Riman, Nabatieh, following an alleged attack by a refugee on a house. Security forces intervened and arrested a number of refugees, with no official statements or independent confirmations so far.

A joint force of the army and military intelligence carried out raids, arresting more than 80 Syrian refugees—including minors and the elderly—in the towns of Chekka, Al-Hiri, Anfeh, and Amyoun in the Koura district. The arrests were made on the grounds of lack of legal residency, despite some of them being registered with UNHCR.

On July 18, Lebanese forces raided the Syrian refugee camp in the town of Al-Halaniyeh in the Baalbek district, arresting several people on charges of illegal entry or lack of residency, as part of a broader security operation in the Bekaa Valley and the northern regions.

Context and Comprehensive Assessment

These developments come amid an escalating security campaign against Syrian refugees, including mass arrests, forced deportations, and cases of torture, amid a near-absence of official transparency and accountability.

Human rights organizations, including Women Journalists Without Chains and the Syrian Emergency Task Force, have called for an urgent stand to condemn these violations and take measures to prevent forced returns in violation of international law—including the principle of non-refoulement.

Lebanon resumed "voluntary return" mechanisms coordinated with UNHCR and the Syrian government last April, but reports show a continued increase in arbitrary deportations and arbitrary detentions that lack oversight or legal safeguards.

The current conditions for Syrian refugees in Lebanon reveal an increased risk of abuses, both from security measures and inflammatory political rhetoric. Documenting and addressing these incidents by the international community and human rights organizations is essential, particularly to ensure refugees are protected from arbitrary detention, violence, and forced return to a potentially lethal environment.

The Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR) is a non-profit, non-governmental human rights organization founded in Lebanon in 2017 and re-established in France in 2020. It comprises a group of human rights defenders with expertise in the legal field and local and international advocacy.

Fares Al-Rifai - Zaman Al-Wasl