Syrian refugees in fear as Lebanon steps up deportations
1 year, 7 months ago

Syrian refugees in fear as Lebanon steps up deportations

Al Jazeera  

An increase in raids by the Lebanese Armed Forces has left Syrian refugees in hiding, worried about being forced back. “I’ve just been hiding at home since then.” Twenty-five-year-old al-Omari, along with more than a million Syrians finding refuge in Lebanon – the majority of whom have been in the country since the eruption of civil war in Syria 11 years ago – are now terrified of the current crackdown on their presence. “UNHCR takes reports of deportations of Syrian refugees very seriously and is concerned about current developments,” Barrachina told Al Jazeera. “Anyone who says there is peace in Syria knows nothing.” Unprecedented raids Deportations of Syrians, including registered refugees, have been documented in previous years; between May 2019 and December 2020, the Lebanese Directorate of General Security confirmed that the authorities had deported 6,002 Syrians. “They released him by tossing him on the street, completely insane and they didn’t even pay him the retirement pension from the armed service.” Al-Omari explains that his brother went through a similar situation, leaving him now unable to find work or interact with people since being released in 2020 with severe psychological damage.

Refugees Syria Lebanon Told Syrian Lebanese Syrians Syrian Refugees Deported Unhcr Waad Deportations Raad Barrachina Kaiss  fear  waad  syria  deportations  lebanon  syrians  deported  syrian  al  told  steps  alomari  refugees

History of this topic

Europe has a new Syrian refugee problem, they don't want to go home amid HTS takeover
1 week, 4 days ago

Europe has a new Syrian refugee problem, they don't want to go home amid HTS takeover

Firstpost  

Despite Assad’s departure, Syria remains mired in uncertainty, with widespread destruction, a bankrupt state, and unclear governance. Germany, home to around 970,000 Syrian refugees, has been at the centre of Europe’s refugee response since former Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the doors to asylum seekers in 2015. Austria unveiled plans for a repatriation program, while Sweden’s far-right Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson …

Thousands queue to flee Syria as ethnic minorities fear post-Assad future
1 week, 4 days ago

Thousands queue to flee Syria as ethnic minorities fear post-Assad future

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thousands of Syrians are stranded …

Rights groups urge European nations not to send Syrian refugees back in haste
1 week, 6 days ago

Rights groups urge European nations not to send Syrian refugees back in haste

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Human rights groups and the …

Europe asks: Is it time for Syria’s refugees to go home?
1 week, 6 days ago

Europe asks: Is it time for Syria’s refugees to go home?

Live Mint  

Days after Syria’s autocratic ruler fled the country, European politicians have reignited the debate over the region’s decade-old refugee crisis. “No country has received as many Syrians in the European Union as Germany… So far this year, the vast majority of those who got protection were Syrians," said Gerald Knaus, head of the European Stability Initiative, a Berlin-based think tank, …

European countries suspend Syrian asylum applications after Assad's ouster, deportation plans under review
Trending News
2 weeks ago

European countries suspend Syrian asylum applications after Assad's ouster, deportation plans under review

Firstpost  

Germany, France, Austria, and several Nordic countries on Monday said they would suspend all pending asylum applications from Syrians, following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad A bus arrives as people gather at the entrance of Aleppo city on Monday, waiting for the return of relatives after the release of detainees from Syrian government prisons following the ousting of Syria's …

UN urges patience as European countries suspend Syrian asylum decisions
2 weeks, 1 day ago

UN urges patience as European countries suspend Syrian asylum decisions

Al Jazeera  

UN refugee agency chief says returning refuges to Syria after fall of Bashar al-Assad should be ‘voluntary’ and ‘safe’. The United Nations high commissioner for refugees calls for “patience and vigilance” in returning Syrian refugees to Syria after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. Grandi’s comments came after several European countries said they would suspend asylum decisions for Syrians after …

While Syrian refugees don’t want to return, officials in Lebanon and Syria see exodus as opportunity
1 month, 2 weeks ago

While Syrian refugees don’t want to return, officials in Lebanon and Syria see exodus as opportunity

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — Hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees have returned to their country since Israel launched a massive aerial bombardment on wide swathes of Lebanon in September. Lebanon’s caretaker Minister of Social Affairs Hector Hajjar told Russia’s Sputnik News last month that the war in Lebanon could yield “a positive benefit, an opportunity to return a large number of displaced …

Rights group alleges Lebanon and Cyprus violated refugees’ human rights and EU funds paid for it
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Rights group alleges Lebanon and Cyprus violated refugees’ human rights and EU funds paid for it

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — European aid sent to Lebanon in an attempt to regulate migration by sea is funding practices that violate human rights, according to a global watchdog report published Wednesday. As part of a policy to contain migration, authorities in Cyprus have physically pushed Syrian refugees back to Lebanon, and Lebanese security agencies have deported them, the Human Rights Watch …

Some Syrian refugees risk returning to opposition-held areas as hostility in host Lebanon grows
6 months, 1 week ago

Some Syrian refugees risk returning to opposition-held areas as hostility in host Lebanon grows

Associated Press  

IDLIB, Syria — For more than a decade, a steady flow of Syrians have crossed the border from their war-torn country into Lebanon. The Lebanese government has also organized “voluntary return” trips for those willing to return to government-held areas, but few have signed up, fearing retaliation from Syria’s government and security forces. As precarious as the situation is in …

Hundreds of Syrian refugees head home as anti-refugee sentiment surges in Lebanon
7 months, 1 week ago

Hundreds of Syrian refugees head home as anti-refugee sentiment surges in Lebanon

Associated Press  

ARSAL, Lebanon — More than 300 Syrian refugees headed back home to Syria in a convoy on Tuesday, leaving two remote northeastern towns in crisis-stricken Lebanon where anti-refugee sentiment has been surging in recent months. A country of about 6 million people, Lebanon hosts nearly 780,000 registered Syrian refugees and hundreds of thousands who are unregistered — the world’s highest …

Hundreds of Syrian refugees head home as anti-refugee sentiment surges in Lebanon
7 months, 1 week ago

Hundreds of Syrian refugees head home as anti-refugee sentiment surges in Lebanon

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy More than 300 Syrian refugees …

Hundreds of Syrians head home as anti-refugee sentiment surges in Lebanon
7 months, 1 week ago

Hundreds of Syrians head home as anti-refugee sentiment surges in Lebanon

LA Times  

A Syrian refugee carries her child as she prepares to return to Syria from the eastern Lebanese border town of Arsal on Tuesday. More than 300 Syrian refugees headed back home to Syria in a convoy on Tuesday, leaving two remote northeastern towns in crisis-stricken Lebanon where anti-refugee sentiment has been surging in recent months. A country of about 6 …

Cyprus concerned over spike in arrivals of Syrian refugees from Lebanon
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Cyprus concerned over spike in arrivals of Syrian refugees from Lebanon

Al Jazeera  

Arrivals of Syrian asylum seekers have surged, with more than 350 such arrivals recorded in two days. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides on Tuesday said it was “deeply concerning” that the irregular arrival of Syrian asylum seekers and refugees was consistently rising in recent weeks, with more than 350 such arrivals recorded in two days. Cyprus, the EU’s easternmost state, lies …

Why is Lebanon home to so many Palestinian refugees and leaders?
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Why is Lebanon home to so many Palestinian refugees and leaders?

Al Jazeera  

An estimated 270,000 Palestinians live in the country. Successive waves of Palestinian refugees to Lebanon have led to a stateless population of up to about 270,000 people, who live in 12 camps across the nation. The refugee camps remain recruitment grounds for Palestinian armed factions: in early December Hamas put out a call for people in the camps to join …

Cyprus braces for refugee arrivals amid Lebanon war fears
1 year, 1 month ago

Cyprus braces for refugee arrivals amid Lebanon war fears

Al Jazeera  

Officials in Cyprus say Beirut’s possible involvement in the Israel-Hamas war has made Lebanon lag in migration management. Cyprus has received 458 Syrian refugees from Lebanon in a week, Cypriot authorities have said, as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to spread into a wider regional conflict. He said that Lebanon’s possible involvement in Israel’s war in Gaza and the generally worsening …

Lebanese premier warns Syrian refugees pose a danger to the small nation’s balance
1 year, 3 months ago

Lebanese premier warns Syrian refugees pose a danger to the small nation’s balance

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — Over a thousand Syrian refugees each week fleeing to Lebanon from their country’s worsening economic and financial conditions “could create harsh imbalances” in the small Mediterranean nation, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned Thursday. “That threatens our entity’s independence and could create harsh imbalances that could affect Lebanon’s demographic balance,” Mikati said. Lebanon hosts some 805,000 United Nations-registered …

UN suspends services at Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon after clashes
1 year, 4 months ago

UN suspends services at Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon after clashes

Al Jazeera  

UN refugee agency has called on armed actors within the refugee camp to immediately vacate its facilities. A United Nations agency has suspended services at the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon to protest against the presence of armed fighters around its four schools and other facilities within the area. Deadly clashes broke out at the Ein el-Hilweh camp last …

HRW urges Tunisia to suspend expulsions of African refugees
1 year, 5 months ago

HRW urges Tunisia to suspend expulsions of African refugees

Al Jazeera  

Hundreds of people were rounded up from Sfax and driven to the militarised Tunisia-Libya border zone this week. A global human rights group has urged Tunisia to stop its expulsion of sub-Saharan African refugees and migrants and for humanitarian services to be provided to those languishing at the North African country’s border with Libya. “Not only is it unconscionable to …

As conditions for Syrians worsen, aid organizations struggle to catch the world’s attention again
1 year, 6 months ago

As conditions for Syrians worsen, aid organizations struggle to catch the world’s attention again

Associated Press  

BAR ELIAS, Lebanon — Six months after she got the call informing her that her U.N. assistance would be cut, Najwa al-Jassem is struggling to feed her four children and pay rent for their tent in a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley. “We’re eating one meal a day.” Aid agencies will struggle to draw the world’s attention …

Syrian refugees fearful as Lebanon steps up deportations
1 year, 7 months ago

Syrian refugees fearful as Lebanon steps up deportations

Associated Press  

QAB ELIAS, Lebanon — Lebanese officials are cracking down on Syrian refugees against the backdrop of a worsening economic crisis and political stalemate, an escalation that has caused a panic among Syrians in the country. “People aren’t sleeping in their houses … and are afraid even to go to work,” said a woman originally from the Syrian province of Idlib …

‘State of terror’ hangs over Syrians in Lebanon amid deportations
1 year, 7 months ago

‘State of terror’ hangs over Syrians in Lebanon amid deportations

Al Jazeera  

Some 800,000 Syrian refugees are registered with the UNHCR after fleeing the civil war that began in 2011 amid protests against President Bashar al-Assad. “Men in the camps have been leaving during the day since the start of the arrests … sitting on the streets in fear the Lebanese army will raid their camp and deport them … especially since …

Amnesty: West’s ‘double standards’ fuel Mideast repression
1 year, 8 months ago

Amnesty: West’s ‘double standards’ fuel Mideast repression

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — A leading international rights group on Tuesday decried what it said were double standards by Western countries that have rallied behind a “robust response” to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but remain “lukewarm” on issues of human rights violations in the Middle East. “They immediately opened their borders to receive refugees from Ukraine,” Aya Majzoub, Amnesty’s deputy chief for …

Saved from death at sea, Syrian refugees face deportation
1 year, 11 months ago

Saved from death at sea, Syrian refugees face deportation

Associated Press  

TRIPOLI, Lebanon — On New Year’s Eve, a small boat carrying more than 230 would-be migrants, most of them Syrians, broke down and began to sink after setting sail from the northern coast of Lebanon. Since the collapse of Lebanon’s economy in 2019, an increasing number of people — mostly Syrian and Palestinian refugees but also Lebanese citizens — have …

Saved from death at sea, Syrian refugees face deportation
1 year, 11 months ago

Saved from death at sea, Syrian refugees face deportation

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. After bringing them back to shore, to the port …

Hundreds of Syrian refugees leave Lebanon amid concerns
2 years, 1 month ago

Hundreds of Syrian refugees leave Lebanon amid concerns

Al Jazeera  

Lugging suitcases, power generators, fridges and chickens, more than 700 Syrian refugees who were living in Lebanon gathered from early morning in a desolate northeastern border zone. The refugees were returning to Syria on Wednesday under a voluntary programme coordinated by Lebanon’s General Security, the agency responsible for safeguarding the country’s borders. Lebanon is home to more than 800,000 Syrian …

Heading home: Syrian refugees in Lebanon going back to Syria
2 years, 1 month ago

Heading home: Syrian refugees in Lebanon going back to Syria

Associated Press  

ARSAL, Lebanon — Hundreds of Syrian refugees boarded a convoy of trucks laden with mattresses, blankets, water and fuel tanks — and, in one case, a goat — in the remote Lebanese mountain town of Arsal on Wednesday, heading home to Syria. “The economic situation doesn’t allow us to provide for them.” Lebanon has given shelter to more than 1 …

Lebanon begins ‘voluntary’ repatriation of Syrian refugees
2 years, 1 month ago

Lebanon begins ‘voluntary’ repatriation of Syrian refugees

Al Jazeera  

Rights groups are concerned the scheme may contain elements of coercion and result in reprisals. Lebanese authorities say 751 Syrian refugees began returning to Syria on Wednesday under a voluntary programme coordinated by Lebanon’s General Security, the agency responsible for safeguarding the country’s borders. Lebanese President Michel Aoun had announced earlier this month that Beirut would soon begin sending Syrian …

Turkey forced hundreds of migrants to return to Syria: Human Rights Watch report
2 years, 2 months ago

Turkey forced hundreds of migrants to return to Syria: Human Rights Watch report

The Hindu  

Hundreds of Syrian men and boys were detained, beaten, and forcibly returned to their country by Turkish authorities over a six-month period, a leading human rights group said on Monday. The treatment of migrants living in Turkey under temporary protection is a breach of international law, New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a report. Human Rights Watch said deported …

Rights group: Turkey forces hundreds to return to Syria
2 years, 2 months ago

Rights group: Turkey forces hundreds to return to Syria

Associated Press  

ISTANBUL — Hundreds of Syrian men and boys were detained, beaten and forcibly returned to their country by Turkish authorities over a six-month period, a leading human rights group said Monday. Human Rights Watch said deported Syrians told researchers that Turkish officials arrested them in their homes, workplaces and on the street. “In violation of international law Turkish authorities have …

Lebanon to begin returning refugees to Syria ‘in batches’
2 years, 2 months ago

Lebanon to begin returning refugees to Syria ‘in batches’

Al Jazeera  

Presidency says return of refugees to Syria to start next week, despite objections by rights groups. President Michel Aoun has said Lebanon will soon begin sending Syrian refugees back to their home country, despite concerns by rights groups over their safety. Issam Charafeddine, Lebanon’s minister for displaced people, in July announced a plan that he said would seek to return …

UN body says violence against Syrians in Lebanon on the rise
2 years, 4 months ago

UN body says violence against Syrians in Lebanon on the rise

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — Discrimination and violence against Syrian refugees in Lebanon has soared in recent weeks as the country grapples with high food prices and shortages, the U.N. refugee agency told the Associated Press on Friday. “We have seen tensions between Lebanese and Syrians at bakeries across the country,” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees spokesperson Paula Barrachina told the AP. …

Syrian refugees anxious over Lebanon’s plans to deport them
2 years, 5 months ago

Syrian refugees anxious over Lebanon’s plans to deport them

Associated Press  

BAR ELIAS, Lebanon — Sitting outside her tent in a camp in eastern Lebanon, a 30-year-old Syrian refugee contemplated the sunset and her worsening options. She managed to survive over the past decade, despite Lebanon’s devastating economic meltdown and souring attitudes toward Syrian refugees. The Lebanese government’s recently announced plan to deport 15,000 refugees per month to Syria appears set …

Syrian refugees anxious over Lebanon's plans to deport them
2 years, 5 months ago

Syrian refugees anxious over Lebanon's plans to deport them

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. She managed to survive over the past decade, despite …

Lebanon hopes to repatriate Syrian refugees within months
2 years, 5 months ago

Lebanon hopes to repatriate Syrian refugees within months

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — Lebanon plans to start sending back tens of thousands of Syrian refugees within months over objections by the United Nations and rights groups, a minister said in an interview Wednesday. “This is a humane, honorable, patriotic and economic plan that is necessary for Lebanon.” The Lebanese government’s plan would entail sending back 15,000 Syrian refugees every month. A …

Lebanon plans Syrian refugee repatriation within months: Minister
2 years, 5 months ago

Lebanon plans Syrian refugee repatriation within months: Minister

Al Jazeera  

Lebanon hosts an estimated 1.5 million Syrians refugees who have fled a brutal, decade-old conflict in their home country. Lebanon plans to begin repatriating tens of thousands of Syrian refugees within months over objections by the United Nations and human rights groups, a minister has said. “We are serious about implementing this plan and we hope to do so within …

Syrians face deportation from Turkey over banana videos
3 years, 1 month ago

Syrians face deportation from Turkey over banana videos

Al Jazeera  

Several Syrians face deportation from Turkey after posting videos of themselves eating bananas as part of a “provocation” while “inciting hatred” following tensions between the host community and refugees over their financial wellbeing. Videos of people purporting to be Syrians eating bananas have sprung up since October 17, when an online news outlet filmed an argument between a young Syrian …

Abuses of returning Syrian refugees ‘still running’: HRW
3 years, 2 months ago

Abuses of returning Syrian refugees ‘still running’: HRW

Al Jazeera  

Rights group calls for a halt of all returns of Syrians and urges countries hosting refugees to take this position. Beirut, Lebanon – Continuing Syrian government human rights abuses mean refugees should not be returned, Human Rights Watch says, urging host nations to immediately halt all refugee returns. The multiple agencies that prey on Syrians are still running.” “The government …

UN says Lebanon's economic crisis blights Syrian refugees
3 years, 2 months ago

UN says Lebanon's economic crisis blights Syrian refugees

The Hindu  

More than 1 million Syrian refugees in crisis-hit Lebanon are experiencing deteriorating conditions that have left nine out of ten of them in extreme poverty, U.N. agencies warned on Wednesday. The yearly report on conditions of Syrians living in Lebanon is produced by the United Nations' refugee agency, its World Food Programme, as well as its children's agency. The report …

UN says Lebanon’s economic crisis blights Syrian refugees
3 years, 2 months ago

UN says Lebanon’s economic crisis blights Syrian refugees

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — More than 1 million Syrian refugees in crisis-hit Lebanon are experiencing deteriorating conditions that have left nine out of ten of them in extreme poverty, U.N. agencies warned Wednesday. The yearly report on conditions of Syrians living in Lebanon is produced by the United Nations’ refugee agency, its World Food Program, as well as its children’s agency. The …

Syria Violence Worsening, Not Safe for Refugee Return: UN War Crimes Investigators
3 years, 3 months ago

Syria Violence Worsening, Not Safe for Refugee Return: UN War Crimes Investigators

News 18  

Syria is still unsafe for the return of refugees a decade after its conflict began, U.N. war crimes investigators said on Tuesday, documenting worsening violence and rights violations including arbitrary detention by government forces. The U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria said the overall situation was increasingly bleak, noting hostilities in several areas of the fractured country, its collapsing economy, …

Amnesty: Syria refugees suffered abuse, torture upon return
3 years, 3 months ago

Amnesty: Syria refugees suffered abuse, torture upon return

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — A number of Syrian refugees who returned home have been subjected to detention, disappearance and torture at the hands of Syrian security forces, proving that it still isn’t safe to return to any part of the country, Amnesty International said Tuesday. She said that while military hostilities may have subsided in most parts of Syria, the Syrian government’s …

Syria still unsafe, says Amnesty International as pressure mounts on refugees to return home
3 years, 3 months ago

Syria still unsafe, says Amnesty International as pressure mounts on refugees to return home

Firstpost  

In the report “You’re going to your death,” the rights group said many Syrian refugees who returned home have been subjected to detention and torture by Syrian security forces Beirut: A number of Syrian refugees who returned home have been subjected to detention, disappearance and torture at the hands of Syrian security forces, proving that it still isn’t safe to …

6 Syrian refugees arrested in Lebanon at risk of deportation
3 years, 3 months ago

6 Syrian refugees arrested in Lebanon at risk of deportation

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — Lawyers of six Syrian refugees arrested in Lebanon said on Sunday that the country’s security services have given them a 24-hour ultimatum — either leave Lebanon to a third country or be deported to Syria, the war-ravaged country they fled. Lawyer Mohammed Sablouh said the move is highly unusual, is a violation of Lebanon’s international obligations and laws, …

Refugees are people just like us – how they are treated is a reflection of how the government treats us all
3 years, 7 months ago

Refugees are people just like us – how they are treated is a reflection of how the government treats us all

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. During the coronavirus pandemic, 2,000 refugees …

Syrian refugees’ plight in Lebanon 10 years after the uprising
3 years, 9 months ago

Syrian refugees’ plight in Lebanon 10 years after the uprising

Al Jazeera  

Lebanon hosts the largest per capita population of Syrian refugees in the world, providing shelter to 1.7 million. “Before the economic crisis, I could buy it once a week.” Rehman is one of the hundreds of Syrian workers rebuilding Beirut after 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate exploded at Beirut’s port and fatally damaged many neighbourhoods in the vicinity. But as …

Syrians should not be forced to return to an unsafe Syria
4 years, 4 months ago

Syrians should not be forced to return to an unsafe Syria

Al Jazeera  

Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons are facing increasingly difficult circumstances in camps inside Syria and a number of host countries. Amid this uncertainty, Lebanon’s Ministry of Social Affairs has put together a paper outlining plans to organise a mass return of Syrian refugees in close coordination with the Syrian regime and without any consideration for their basic right of …

‘We lost everything’: Syrian refugees caught up in Beirut blast
4 years, 4 months ago

‘We lost everything’: Syrian refugees caught up in Beirut blast

Al Jazeera  

Already among the most vulnerable in Lebanese society, refugees are struggling to cope in the blast’s aftermath. Omer Elnaiem, head of communications at the UNHCR, said: “The organisation has only confirmed 14 so far.” ‘Lost everything’ Basma Tabaja, deputy head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Lebanon, said Syrians were particularly affected by the incident. “We …

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