Late last month, as the dawn broke, Lebanese military personnel made their way into an informal settlement in Arsal, a mountainous town on the fringes of Syria. Several Syrian males were taken into custody from there. “Certain individuals have begun to be sent back,” says one aid official working at a school for Syrian youngsters in Arsal. Fearful for their safety, they chose to remain anonymous. “Our educators are highly tense.”
Over the past twelve months, as per UN data, the rate of Syrians being expelled from Lebanon has considerably escalated. Around 1.5 million Syrians have taken refuge in Lebanon to escape the violent disruption, political oppression under the presidency of Bashar al-Assad, along with economic hardship, and inevitable conscription into the military.
Muhammad, 29, a Syrian man, prolonged his stint in the university to evade compulsory military service, which applies to males aged between 18 to 42 and can stretch up to 10 years. He deliberately underperformed in alternate years to extend his university stay. “I must find humour in it, otherwise, I would succumb to gloom,” he shares about this period.
About a couple of years ago, after successfully graduating and shelling out approximately €93 to access Lebanon, Muhammad currently is employed at a cafe in the eastern zone of Beirut. He aspires to pursue a postgraduate degree and step into politics. “In Syria, one can’t aspire to high political positions. There is only one accepted way of thinking and living,” he remarks.
While catering to patrons at the café, he painstakingly reads and translates an old version of George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, to brush up his English language proficiency. “I can’t go back to Syria. However, I also can’t foresee a future in Lebanon,” Muhammad adds. “My sole hope lies in reaching a different country.”
Syrians in Lebanon find themselves amidst an escalating unfriendly ambiance. The UN suggests that over 90% are surviving below the poverty line, with several hold unsteady, low-earning jobs in sectors like construction, farming, and hospitality. Commencing March, a series of billboards have been displayed across Lebanon blaming Syrian refugees for the nation’s problems.
The tension reached a peak after the alleged murder of a local Christian Lebanese official by a Syrian gang, which led to a surge of violent dissent against Syrians throughout Lebanon. Footage showing Syrians getting assaulted, shaved, and shackled is being disseminated online.
Tension between Lebanese Christians and mainly Muslim Syrians has a deep-rooted history, stemming from the civil war period where Christian armed groups battled the Syrian military, which had sections of Lebanon under its control from 1976 till 2005.
In Beirut’s predominantly Christian district of Achrafieh, local groups displayed signs instructing Syrians to depart, while in Bourj Hammoud, Lebanese men resorted to loudspeaker announcements from motorcycles, giving Syrians a 48-hour notice time to move out.
Lebanon’s incumbent acting interior minister, Bassam Mawlawi, post the recent murder in Byblos, emphasised that the nation would toughen its stance on issuing and handling of residency permits and unlawfully residing Syrians. Mawlawi made an unsupported claim about “many crimes” committed by Syrians, and stated that Lebanon could no longer bear the Syrian presence.
As per the UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, less than a fifth of Syrian families living in Lebanon report that all family members aged 15 and above possess legal residency, a financial burden for most households. Therefore, majority of Syrians, including those registered as refugees with the UNHCR, run the risk of having their vehicles seized or being detained and sent back to Syria at Lebanese checkpoints.
Testimonies by Syrian refugees collected by the Beirut- and Paris-based Syrian-run NGO, The Access Center for Human Rights, points to possible collusion between the armies of Lebanon and Syria in turning over refugees to trafficking gangs along the Syrian border. These gangs often resort to economic and sexual exploitation. The Lebanese army has yet to comment on these allegations.
Mohammad Sablouh, a Lebanese lawyer who represents Syrians, claimed that he has been subjected to threats from Lebanese security officials. His clients include Rafaat al-Faleh, a former Syrian Army defector who hasn’t been heard from by his family ever since his deportation to Syrian authorities earlier in 2024.
Human Rights Watch, a prominent NGO, has condemned the Lebanese government for repatriating individuals to regions where they are in danger of facing torture or persecution. This action is in violation of the principle of non-refoulement and the UN Convention Against Torture.
Hector Hajjar, the acting social affairs minister of Lebanon, has suggested the removal of all tents and dwellings occupied by Syrians who do not qualify as displaced individuals. Multiple humanitarian agencies that assist Syrian communities have reported escalating challenges in delivering large water tanks to unofficial camps, along with providing support that would bolster the resilience of the homes against extreme weather and fire hazards. Ramzi Kaiss, who researches Lebanon at Human Rights Watch, expressed, “Discriminatory tactics against Syrians in the country have long been implemented by Lebanese officials as a method of pressuring them to return to Syria, despite the continued insecurity there.”