The precarious situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon: under pressure, fear and lack of international aid

Syria will continue to face the world’s largest refugee crisis in 2024. Since October 2023, the country has seen the worst escalation of violence since 2020, and the situation of Syrian refugees in neighboring countries is also deteriorating rapidly.  

Faced with a total lack of perspective and solutions, many Syrians see no other choice than a dangerous journey to Europe. This is also evident from the official European asylum figures. In the whole of 2023, 1,14 million people applied for asylum in Europe, including 181.000 Syrians. Syrians are thus number one on the list of asylum applicants.  

Syrian refugees in Lebanon are increasingly hunted animals, who can be arrested and deported to Syria at any time of the day. Over the past year, the pace of forced deportations has increased even further, and social tensions and anti-Syrian violence are increasing rapidly. This means that more and more refugees see no other option than a dangerous journey to Europe, as previous research by 11.11.11 and testimonies we recorded on the spot in February 2024.  

Omar* is a young Syrian refugee currently in Lebanon. He was previously forcibly deported to the Syrian border by the Lebanese army, but was able to re-enter Lebanon through smugglers. Like many others, he hopes to one day be able to flee to Europe. “If I get the chance to go to Europe, I won’t hesitate for a second. Here in Lebanon, there is the constant fear of being deported, while Syria is still unsafe and I would immediately be conscripted into the Syrian army.”

11.11.11-Partner CLDH, the Lebanese human rights organization, provides legal support to Syrian refugees. They defend Syrians who are threatened with deportation from Lebanon. Last year, they mapped out how European countries provide financial support to Lebanese security services. Millions of euros flow to actors who deport Syrians en masse under the guise of 'migration management'. Ironically, this practice turns out to be a central cause of Syrians trying to reach Europe by boat.  

The Lebanese Tracy who heads the CLDH office in Tripoli notices the increasing fear among the refugees. “There is, more than ever before, a climate of fear among the Syrians we assist. A state of panic. People stay at home as much as possible. They are even afraid to go to the supermarket, they feel that they can be deported at any moment. Anywhere and anytime.”  

Abdul, a Syrian grandfather in Lebanon, also lives in constant fear and complains about the lack of international aid. “We escaped fear in Syria, and now we live in fear again here. The hatred and violence have only increased since then. 100%. The arrests, raids on camps and deportations are of course not new, but since the middle of last year it has really gone to the next level. The fear is omnipresent, many people sleep in the middle of a field. Or along the riverbed, for fear of army raids on the camps. And the United Nations hardly does anything for us.” 

Despite renewed war violence and the continuing threat of forced recruitment and torture in Syria, European leaders, under pressure from Cyprus, are now negotiating a Lebanon deal that would include financial support for the Lebanese coastguard and army, and the option of designating parts of Syria as “safe.”  

Following Tunisia, the EU is threatening to 11.11.11report to further fuel the already widespread human rights violations by the Lebanese security services. It is precisely these violations that make Syrians increasingly unsafe in Lebanon. This will cause many people to flee again - including to Europe.  

“The statements to declare parts of Syria safe have nothing to do with reality. Deals like these show above all that so-called European values ​​disappear like snow in the sun when it comes to people fleeing. People are rounded up and sent to war zones. If they want to escape oppression and violence, fleeing – and therefore irregular migration – is often their only lifeline,” says 11.11.11-expert Willem Staes. “We call on European and Belgian politicians to show leadership, stop this deal and not simply ignore the suffering of countless Syrians.” 

The alternatives are according to 11.11.11 numerous. A Lebanon deal based on respect for international law should ensure that the country ends forced deportations and gives Syrian refugees better legal status and access to the labour market. The EU should provide a number of concrete incentives in return, such as more money for Lebanese host communities, legal resettlement of more Syrians and further economic cooperation. In this way, a win-win-win situation can be created for Syrian refugees, Lebanon and the EU, and fewer Syrians will feel the need to place their fate in the hands of human traffickers.  

*The names of some individuals in this article have been changed to ensure their anonymity and protect their safety.