Introduction:
The conflict in Syria has formed an image reflecting one of the most complicated and influencing situations in the modern age. The impact of the complicated situation in Syria has transcended geographical boundaries of the country, starting from the speedy collapse of public security, to the horrific economic degradation, as Syria has witnessed catastrophic shifts in most aspects of life of its citizens.
The security situation in Syria is considered a significant challenge, as civilians are witnessing constant multilateral conflicts. Syrian people face the repercussions of these conflicts on daily basis which makes them living in and suffering from very difficult conditions. Violence knows no end, so many have been forced to displacement and searching for a safe refuge at distant places away from conflict zones.
Nonetheless, it is not only the security situation that is shedding its dark shadows on the country, but also the economic degradation has been clearly manifested. The regime forces and their allies, including Russian and Iranian forces, along with their proxy militias, have destroyed the economic structure, which consequently led to rising unemployment and the deterioration of the living conditions of citizens. Such a blatant economic degradation has hugely impacted people’s ability to meet their basic needs, pushing many people towards the brink of misery and extreme poverty.
Thus, the general context of the Syrian conflict is drawing a dire portrait reflecting the ever-inflating challenges, so this requires a wide-scope international cooperation to find radical solutions to end the misery of the Syrian people and to re-stabilize the whole region. Today, in asylum countries, the Syrians are struggling the same issues they are suffering from in their homeland. Moreover, their agony in Lebanon could be a good example about that.
Major challenges faced by Syrians in Lebanon:
The situations of Syrian refugees in Lebanon
The most prominent challenges confronting the Syrian refugees in Lebanon include the legal status, which is the most disturbing aspect and sheds light on the magnitude of the difficulties they are facing. Many of them suffer from the lack of legal security, as they don’t have official documents or legal permits required for residence. As a result, this makes them vulnerable to the threat of deportation and forced leaving without any legal guarantees. Furthermore, many of them are employed at the black market without any labor rights or social security, so they are vulnerable to being exploited or suffer from hard economic conditions.
The Syrian Association for Citizens’ Dignity (SACD) has interviewed some Syrian refugees in Lebanon, including Mrs. “A.H’ who fled with her husband and children in 2013 due to the prosecution of the Syrian regime for her husband, as they took a part in the protests, and because of their opposition to Assad’s regime.
In the interview, “A.H” asserted the following:
“My husband and me have valid documents, but my sons who are over 18 years old don’t. We are worried about my son as he turned 18 years old, and his documents are still held by the Lebanese public security. He has received deportation decision notice. Now, my son cannot be present at places where checkpoints have been installed, and he cannot find a job because he is vulnerable to deportation.”
Concerning the economic condition, difficulties are aggravating day by day, as many refugees find it is difficult to afford their daily bread. Many families lack steady income. Furthermore, they suffer from increasing unemployment rates, leaving them living below poverty line, without any social security or government subsidies whatsoever.
Generally speaking, “A.H” describes the conditions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon by saying:
Overall, our condition and the Syrians’ condition in Lebanon are very miserable, as the labor is so hard and the salary is meagre. The Lebanese laborer gets thrice of the Syrian laborer’s salary, as well as, the economic condition is totally collapsed in Lebanon.
Concerning education, the Syrian refugees are facing huge challenges related to enrolling their children at schools, as the families lack the required official documents and cannot afford the high costs of enrolling children at schools. Many children find themselves deprived from their right to get educated and forced to work instead of going to school. As a result, they miss any opportunities for them to get educated and to achieve any progress in the future.
Syrians between racial discrimination and security threats:
In Lebanon, Syrians face enormous challenges ranging from harassment, racial discrimination, and constant security threats. This threat gets clearly manifested in the statements delivered by Lebanese senior officials, as they blame the Syrian refugees for the crises that Lebanon is suffering from. Also, they depict the presence of Syrian refugees as the source of economic and security problems.
This discrimination has increased lately, as senior officials declared it is necessary to firmly enforce the law on the Syrians, while they also warned from the existence of terrorist cells and armed elements within the Syrian camps in Lebanon. Undoubtedly, these statements would lead into more tension between the Syrian refugees and the Lebanese people, along with fore-running the escalating racism and assaults in the region.
Lebanese Interior Minister, Mr. Bassam Mawlawi has indicated in a speech delivered during the funeral of Forces Party’s Coordinator, Pascal Soliman, at St. George Church in Byblos, that it is necessary to “bridle the Syrian lawlessness”, stating that the Lebanese people are suffering so much due to the situations they reached to because of the presence of Syrians in Lebanon.
For his part, the Minister of the Displaced in the caretaker government, Mr. Issam Sharaf Eddin, claimed that there are 20.000 armed elements within the camps of the Syrian refugees, and they are waiting for the zero hour and the orders to be given from Washington. He also confirmed the presence of “terrorist sleeper cells within the camps of Syrian refugees, who are tasked to undermine the security in Syria to achieve political ends, serving the United States and Western countries in general.”
Thesethreats are attributed to indifference and negligence policy adopted by the Lebanese government in dealing with the Syrian refugees, as it leaves them to live in dire conditions without providing the required protection or legal support. This situation poses a real threat to human rights and the security in the region. Accordingly, it requires taking urgent measures to improve the Syrians’ situations in Lebanon, and to guarantee a protection for them from any discrimination or any probable security threats.
It is also worth mentioning to clarify that the Syrian refugees in Lebanon are individuals who had fled the war and violence, in an attempt to save their lives and the lives of their families. Many of them are suffering from the impacts of armed conflicts and they are searching for a safe haven away from any conflict. Therefore, it should be asserted that most Syrian refugees in Lebanon are victims of hard conditions in their homeland. They are not armed nor they have joined any armed conflicts or any whatsoever threats in their refuge.
Forced return to Syria and its danger:
In light of the complicated challenges faced by Syrians in Lebanon, they are suffering from dangerous threats risking their lives and future in a way that cannot be disregarded. Among these major threats; the danger of forced return to Syria appears as the most dangerous challenge facing Syrians.
This risky process might incur arbitrary arrest, torture, and even death. In light of constant conflict, and the lack of safe dignified conditions to live in Syria, forced return poses a real threat for life and personal safety of the Syrians.
In the interview; Mrs. “A.H” has asserted the following:
Any country dealing with Assad’s criminal regime is considered complicit in killing the Syrian people. It is also seen as a traitor to the humanitarian values and human rights for sure, as Syria is not safe at all. I have sons who have reached the age of mandatory military conscription and my husband is wanted by the regime’s security branches, only because he participated in the protests. The Syrian regime is liar and cannot be trusted.
For example, my friend went back to Aleppo with her children. At the borders, they arrested her son and claimed that he is having a fake civil record extract document! We don’t want to be enforced to go back to the regime’s territories under the so-called “voluntary return”.
Documented figures and documents submitted by Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR) show a tragic reality faced by the Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The investigative report issued by the center shows that since early 2023 till the end of December, 1080 individuals have been arbitrarily arrested in Lebanon, while 763 persons have been forcibly deported to Syria. These figures reflect an arbitrary security crackdown campaign targeting the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and this campaign has turned into a real threat endangering the lives and safety of thousands of people.
The real death journey starts after deporting those Syrians and handing them over to the Syrian regime, to begin a new stage of abuses committed by the Syrian authorities against those persons. Such procedures include security investigations, and processing military, political, and civil compromises, in addition to arbitrary arrest and detention, martial courts. Moreover, sometimes refugees are subject to forced disappearance, torture, and mistreatment, along with sending those who reached the age of mandatory or reserve military service to be conscripted in the Syrian military. In some cases, the forcibly returned refugees delivered to the 4th division in the Syrian military had been re-handed over to human smuggling gangs at the borders, so the gangsters detained the refugees in houses and farms owned by the gangs at the borders, and they have manipulated their destiny and exploited their fragile situations to blackmail them for money and to make use of their agony. This is what have been confirmed by the same aforementioned report.
On the other hand, a report issued by the Syrian Networkfor Human Rights in 2023 accurately and comprehensively documented the situation of human rights in Syria. The network has mentioned that 1032 civilians have been killed, including 181 children and 119 women, while nearly 195.000 people have suffered from forced displacement.
Arbitrary arrest cases have reached to 2317, including 129 children and 87 women, while 59 persons have been killed under torture. Further, 206 cases of attacks against vital civil centers have been documented along with 14 massacres have been committed. The same year has witnessed one attack with cluster munitions, and 8 attacks with incendiary weapons, causing the death and injury of many civilians.
Ignoring this threat means disregarding human rights and insistence on endangering the lives of individuals and posing the threat of oppression on them. As a result, this makes the international role very important to protect the Syrians, and to guarantee their safety and rights to lead a dignified safe life.
Lebanon’s formal plan to deal with the Syrian refugees:
Lebanese statements and attitudes against the Syrian refugees have become a major topic arousing dispute and division in this country. Lebanese Prime Minster, Mr. Najeeb Mikati, headed a meeting for the “Ministerial committee to follow up the implementation of the action plan of the national strategy for social protection” at the Saraya, in the presence of many ministers and officials.
Following the meeting, Mr. Mikati stated that it is so necessary to take radical measures to address the old-new reality in terms of the issue related to the Syrian displaced and others. Mr. Al-Hajjar, the Minister of Social Affairs, explained that the most important points in the plan include the importance of carrying out a comprehensive survey for all Syrians in Lebanon, to determine who is considered displaced and who is not.
He also emphasized the necessity of applying the Lebanese laws on Syrians without linking them to the UNHCR and denying them from the displaced rights. The plan has also included that tents and residential centers for non-displaced categories should be eliminated, along with deporting the individuals who have illegally arrived the country or those who are regarded as violating the Lebanese laws. It also included adopting one of the two tracks for relocation in a third country or to go back to Syria in coordination with the Syrian government, while having the international community involved to guarantee security at the borders.
Mikati’s plan clearly shows how Lebanese authorities are continuing their resort to oppressive discriminatory policies along with their tendency to blame and sideline the Syrian refugees. The government’s official discourse includes an escalation in the anti-Syrians statements and discriminatory stances, in addition to lack of complete commitment to the international laws and humanitarian standards in terms of dealing with Syrians.
It is clear that the plan’s core depends on restrictive oppressive procedures against the Syrian refugees, including the forcing procedures meant to deport and deny them their basic rights. Accordingly, this requires an urgent interference by the international community to protect human rights and guarantee protecting refugees and to preserve their humanity.
Escape water gate to Cyprus:
Death boats are the last choice for the Syrians stuck in Lebanon:
Amid a wave of threatening of probable return to Syria, the options for the Syrians struck in Lebanon included horrible scenarios represented by the forced return to the regime’s territories, no matter how many dangers it contains, including arrest, torture, disappearance, or resort to death boats heading to Cyprus Island. This is despite of the difficulties and challenges included in such an option, which might amount sometimes to having whole families drowned in the sea.
In her interview held by the Syrian The Syrian Association for Citizens’ Dignity (SACD), Mrs. “A.H” asserted the following:
If we were forced on the so-called “voluntary return”, we will seek any other means to get us away from Lebanon to any other country, other than Syria. Now, we are forced to stay in Lebanon and to bear the hardships. If we can afford the costs of traveling to any country, we will never stay even for one hour here for sure, so, right now, the only option available is to keep patience.
According to a report entitled: “The Myth of Voluntary Return from Lebanon” issued by the The Syrian Association for Citizens’ Dignity (SACD), 30% of the respondents frankly indicated that they would resort to an escape attempt to other countries if they were forced to go back to Syria, either legally or illegally. However, 37% of them have definite plans. Also, the current situation refers to the possibility of taking the same decision on a wide scale.
These results reflect a probable warning from new displacement waves heading towards Europe. Making the Syrian refugees stuck between these options which are death boats, staying in Lebanon, or going back to the Syrian regime’s territories, embodied a human tragedy that should be given more attention and serious pondering.
Cyprus response to the influx of refugees
The Republic of Cyprus has taken a series of procedures and measures to address the increasing flow of migrants arriving in Cypriot coasts by death boats. The competent authorities in Cyprus have voiced their worries about the increasing numbers of migrants coming to Cypriot territories by sea. According to reports issued by Foreigners and Migration Unit in Cyprus, irregular migrants arriving by sea, are embarking mainly from Lebanon or on board of fishing boats coming from Tartous in Syria.
However, due to the EU legal restrictions, Cyprus cannot directly contact the Syrian authorities concerning this issue, so it is compelled to cooperate with the neighboring countries and the EU to address migrants’ daily arrival. Subsequently, pursuant to the agreements signed with EU, Cyprus must welcome and never return the migrants if it was proved they are coming from Tartous Governorate at the Syrian coast.
Furthermore, the Republic of Cyprus suggested that the Lebanese authorities could adopt a series of measures aiming to address the challenges relevant to irregular migrants flow from Lebanon. “Phileleftheros”, the largest newspaper in Cyprus, revealed a formal letter sent by the Ministry of Migration in Cyprus to its Lebanese counterpart, about enhancing the security cooperation between both countries to limit illegal migrants flow from Lebanon.
Returning those persons to Lebanon is considered a huge risk and threat endangering their lives and future, as they might be arrested in Lebanon by the Lebanese government, or they might be compelled to accept early forced return to their country and, as a result, this could lead to their arrest by the Syrian regime’s forces.
Cyprus’s latest statements about the Syrian refugees:
Cyprus Interior MinisterKonstantínos Ioánnou,at the end of 2023from the UN headquarters at Geneva, where the second Global Refugee Forum was held, called for reassessment of some Syrian governorates to designate them as “safe” in order to return the refugees coming from them. The Minister cited a report issued by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) on February 2023, which mentioned that two Syrian governorates -Damascus and Tartous- don’t have “real danger impacting any civilian personally by random violence”.
Moreover, the Cypriot president Nikos Christodoulides later has called upon EU to lift the ban on deporting the Syrian refugees to their country, and he asserted the importance of addressing migration issue comprehensively so that the root causes would be considered. This plan must be based on cooperation among the countries affected by migrants.
The Cypriot Minister of Interior, Konstantínos Ioánnou, believes that the situation is gradually deteriorating. He has also pointed out to a clear increase of the numbers of boats and migrants risking their lives in the sea, as more than 600 persons, mostly Syrians, have arrived to his country during March 2024.
Recently, the Republic of Cyprus has announced suspending processing asylum requests claimed by migrants coming from Syria, denoting a mass arrival by sea for Syrians seeking asylum, and the country is still waiting any developments concerning reassessment of the situations in Syria. This declaration stirred a storm of inquiries about the repercussions reflected on the humanitarian and political situations in the region.
European Countries response to Lebanon and Cyprus statements about the Syrian refugees:
Reassessing Syrian regions and its repercussions on human rights:
Cyprus statements show that EU member states support the Cypriot government’s proposal about designating safe regions in Syria to enable the processes of migrants refoulement, after recording the arrival of more than 10,000 migrants to Cyprus last year.
The governments of Cyprus, Czech and Denmark are working on sending a joint mission to collect data and reassess Syrian cities and governorates, and to designate them as “safe regions” for refugees to come back. This decision has came following discussions including the Cypriot Minister of Interior with his Czechian and Danish counterparts, during his tour in EU countries, with the aim to coordinate efforts in order to reassess the situations in Syria.
In a related context, German Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned from deporting the Syrian refugees, indicating that their country is “not safe”, according to a secret report issued by the Ministry and published by the German “tagesschau” website. This warning confirms what has been confirmed in reports and information coming from different sources stating that the security situation in Syria is still unstable and lacking the safe conditions for refugees’ return.
A recent report issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on 13th February, 2024, entitled: “We Don’t Fear Death, But Life There”, has revealed grave abuses and dire situation of human rights facing the returnees to Syria, including arbitrary detention, torture, mistreatment, sexual and gender-based violence, forced disappearance, and abduction.
The report has also pointed out to the increasing economic hardships, mistreatment, hostile rhetoric against the refugees, not to mention the raids, mass arrests in certain hosting countries which forced many to come back early to Syria, although the general conditions in Syria don’t make it possible for a safe, dignified and sustainable return of the Syrian refugees to their homeland. It also asserted that many interviewees talked about they have decided to escape again from Syria.
The aforementioned report affirmed what has been frequently confirmed by The Syrian Association for Citizens’ Dignity (SACD), that the Syrian refugees’ return should be carried out carefully within safe dignified conditions. It also should be based on a comprehensive assessment of the general condition in Syria, and via a comprehensive political solution wherein the safe environment is the cornerstone, according to the conditions set by the displaced Syrian themselves. 65% of the respondents in the aforementioned report issued by the association, entitled “The Death of the Dignified Return and The Political Process”, has indicated that the safe environment is a key condition for their return to Syria, whereas 61% stated that disclosing the situations of the detainees and the forced disappeared persons is a precondition for their return.
Denmark reverses its earlier policy towards the Syrian refugees:
Previously, the reverse of Denmark policy concerning revoking the residence permits of the Syrian refugees and reassessing certain Syrian regions as “safe” asserted a significant development in the Danish government’s thought and decisions. Such a shift represents a recognition that the previous decisions have been based on inaccurate foundation, and caused unjustified damage to the Syrian refugees. Obviously, the unjustified revoking of residence permits provided for the Syrian refugees coming from the regions designated as “safe” is considered a prejudiced unjust decision against those refugees.
The decisions of Danish authorities in terms of revoking the residence permits of Syrians and the designation of certain Syrian regions as “safe” then reversing such decisions represent a harsh experience of trying to strike a balance between political pressures and human rights principles. Danish authorities reversing of such decisions reflect inadequate security conditions in these regions to receive the Syrian refugees.
However, despite of the last reverse of Danish stance, the renewal of Danish response to Cyprus proclamations arouses many inquiries about Denmark willingness to reconcile national interests and international commitments as far as refugees rights are concerned. Will Denmark adopt a more balanced policy showing more respect to human rights in dealing with the refugees?
This question is considered pivotal in the international discussions about how to address refugee crisis and protect them in accordance with the international standards of human rights and international laws.
International warnings and statements confirming the lack of safe environment in Syria:
In a briefing for Security Council about Syria dated 25th April 2024, Geir Pedersen, UN special envoy for Syria, affirmed the importance of moving forward in preparing the safe calm neutral environment required for launching the political process, as well as it is required for safe dignified voluntary return of the refugees. It also indicated that the efforts exerted to address these issues have not so far resulted in the required changes. On the contrary, the number of those willing to leave Syria as well as neighboring countries, and risking their lives through dangerous roads, is actually increasing.
Pedersen has also maintained that key players should focus on the needs of the refugees themselves, concerning protection and supplying livelihoods to them. Also, protection must be enhanced and the dignity of the Syrian refugees should be preserved wherever they are. Meanwhile, work should focus on preparing the conditions required for safe dignified voluntary return for the refugees to their homeland.
For her part, the French ambassador to Syria, Brigitte Curmi, asserted in an article entitled “Don’t let Syria slip off the global agenda” published by the magazine website, that the safe voluntary dignified return for the Syrians who left their homes is still impossible, due to the lack of the appropriate conditions for their return, and because the Syrian regime does not exert any effort in this direction.
The Foreign Ministries of France, Germany, UK and USA, in a joint statement about the 13th anniversary of the Syrian Uprising, stated that the conditions of the safe, dignified and voluntary return for the refugees to Syria under the international community’s support has not been met yet.
Whereas the head of UN investigation committee in Syria, Mr. Paulo Pinheiro, has confirmed in his statement at the 55th session of UN Human Rights Council held on March 2024, that no progress whatsoever has been achieved concerning the key issues in Syria, i.e. security, refugees and drugs, which have pushed the Arab League to return Syria to this fold nearly a year ago. On the contrary, Syria is not safer, and many Syrians are still fleeing their country instead of coming back to it.
In conclusion:
We, in The Syrian Association for Citizens’ Dignity (SACD), assert that the radical solution for the conflict in Syria is represented by finding a comprehensive political solution that meets the demands of Syrian people, and setting out the safe environment which the Syrians themselves see as the cornerstone of this solution. This political solution must include a comprehensive open dialogue among all relevant parties, and it must be enhanced by international consensus to make sure that it will be adequately and sustainably implemented. The solution should meet the Syrian people’s legitimate demands and wishes, and it must be based on human rights principles and social justice, and aiming to establish peace and stability in Syria.
The Association maintains that the political solution establishing sustainable peace in Syria is the solution that will enable the Syrian displaced persons to come back to their original places after meeting the conditions of the safe environment which provides the appropriate conditions to their safe, voluntary and dignified return.
Therefore, we call upon the international community to exert more efforts to support the political process in Syria, and to facilitate consensus among all relevant parties. We also prompt for paying attention and dedicating the required resources to make sure that the needs of Syrian refugees are met in the hosting countries, along with providing the required support to the humanitarian organizations so that they can provide the required assistance to the affected, whether in Syria or abroad.
