Attachments
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The escalating socio-economic crisis in Lebanon and the recent Israeli bombardment have worsened the already dire conditions faced by 1.5 million Syrian refugees. This report examines the widespread forced evictions of Syrian refugees, exploring causes, impacts, and providing legal analysis of the violation of forced eviction from a human rights lens. Lastly, recommended actions are provided.
Key findings:
1- Evictions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon have significantly increased in the last few years and they occur in both individual and collective forms, often involve the use of violence and coercion - include verbal and physical abuse, threats, and destruction of their houses – and occur within a wider context of systematic push factors including systematically depriving refugees of legal protection, leaving them further vulnerable to involuntary returning to Syria.
2- There are multiple drivers of forced evictions that shape why, how and where evictions occur. Prior to this current crisis, evictions were seen to be part and parcel of a systematic policy adopted by the Lebanese government to create a hostile environment for refugees.
3- Anti-refugee policies, discriminatory measures, the use of force by security forces and longstanding structural challenges have all fed into forced eviction policies.
4- In Lebanon, forced evictions of Syrian refugees are often arbitrary and carried out without due process or the necessary protection requirements and guarantees that are required. As such, Lebanon continues to adopt a number of illegal measures with regards to forced evictions.
5- In this current context of Israeli attacks, evictions continue to occur in a context of large-scale displacement that has presenting new push factors and compounded and exacerbated existed discriminatory policies for Syrian refugees, forcing some to involuntary return to Syria. Refugees that are forcibly evicted from their homes face additional challenges and are more vulnerable to violations including the risk of forced deportations, particularly during their current internal displacement with additional barriers such as restrictions to accessing emergency shelters and humanitarian aid. 6- Widespread Israeli attacks have compounded challenges that refugees face leading many to involuntary return to Syria where they face additional protection risks and challenges.