Between Syria, a country they fled in the midst of war in 2013, Lebanon where they lived for ten years, and Cyprus, which they tried to reach to escape an increasingly precarious status in the country of the Cedars, before being sent back to Lebanon and then expelled to Syria, the story of Nawal, her husband and their five children illustrates the increasingly repressive policies implemented against Syrian refugees on both sides of the Mediterranean Sea.
In a report published on Wednesday, September 4, the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented the case of 16 Syrian refugees and asylum seekers, who attempted to illegally leave Lebanon by sea between August 2021 and September 2023, and were subject to return and deportation measures by the authorities of Cyprus and Lebanon, some to Syria, in violation of international conventions, particularly European ones.
They were not given any justification for the denial of international protection. Some refugees were subjected to abuses by the Lebanese or Cypriot authorities, including arbitrary detention, excessive use of force and confiscation of identity documents and telephones. “Our report is based on confirmed cases up to 2023, but we know that this is still happening today.”notes Nadia Hardman, one of the authors of the report.
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HRW notes the responsibility of Lebanon, Cyprus and the European Union (EU), which are pursuing a policy of stemming migration flows. Between 2020 and 2023, the EU and European countries have funded €16.7 million in programs to train and equip Lebanese security forces, in order to improve border management and prevent illegal immigration. In May, the European Commission announced a new €1 billion financial aid package for Lebanon over four years, part of which is earmarked to continue these programs.
Anti-Syrian Resentment Background
“The EU and donor states have failed to ensure effectively that this funding does not contribute to human rights violations, including through the establishment of concrete evaluation mechanisms and through measures of conditionality of funding to respect for human rights. »laments Ramzi Kaiss, researcher in the Middle East and North Africa division at HRW.
Regarding the situation between Cyprus and Lebanon, the European Commission assures “follow the issue closely, as does the UNHCR[le Haut-Commissariat des Nations unies pour les réfugiés] » and believes in taking it very seriously “allegations of wrongdoing”. However, regarding the pushbacks or expulsions ordered by Cyprus to Lebanon, she assures that:“It is the responsibility of Member States to fully and independently investigate any alleged violation of fundamental rights and to prosecute any wrongdoing established “. According to her, “All EU Member States must fully respect their obligations under asylum law and international law, including by ensuring access to the asylum procedure.”
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