HRW Says Palestinians Fleeing Syria Stranded at Lebanon Border
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Most Palestinians trying to go to Lebanon from strife-torn Syria have been denied entry over the past two days, a rights group said on Thursday.
"The Lebanese government began on August 6, 2013, to bar Palestinians from entering the country from Syria," New York-based Human Rights Watch said.
"Refusing to allow asylum seekers to enter the country violates Lebanon's international obligations."
An HRW statement said people stranded at the border included "entire families, children, the elderly and the sick."
It said Lebanese authorities "should urgently rescind its decision to bar Palestinians from Syria from entering Lebanon... Lebanon is turning people back without adequately considering the dangers they face."
From August 6, it appears "the only Palestinians allowed to enter Lebanon were Palestinians with Lebanese wives or mothers, or who had plane tickets to leave Beirut that day," HRW said.
It said there has been no public announcement of a change in policy.
HRW said that under international law Lebanon must abide by the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits sending people back to places where their lives or freedom are threatened.
Syria is home to some 500,000 Palestinians. Many lived in Yarmouk in southern Damascus, a district that has been torn apart by shelling, rendering much of it uninhabitable, residents say.
A source in the General Security directorate told Agence France Presse that "so far we have been the country with the most open border policy for people traveling from Syria."
Lebanon had been granting Palestinians coming from Syria a seven-day renewable visa.
"We dealt with the Palestinian situation from a humanitarian point of view," said the source, adding that Lebanon "is not a country of asylum."
"They should not be coming here. Their files are with the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Syria, not in Lebanon," he said of the agency tasked with registering and aiding those whose ascendants fled historic Palestine.
The source also said Lebanon "has been promised help by the international community to deal with the influx. That help didn't come."
Some 675,000 people fleeing Syria's conflict – among them 60,000 Palestinians -- have sought shelter in Lebanon, the U.N. says, though the real number is believed to be much higher.
U.N. and other humanitarian agencies say there has been a major funding shortfall to help mitigate the impact of the refugee crisis.
"While the Lebanese government, like those of other neighboring countries, is struggling to meet the needs of the growing refugee population, closing the border is no answer," said HRW deputy Middle East director Joe Stork.
On July 26, the U.N. refugee agency said it is negotiating with Lebanon over the country's plan to enforce new border controls that could affect the flow of Syrian refugees.
"We will continue to engage with (the authorities) to ensure that refugees in need of protection will have access to Lebanon but also that the legitimate security concerns of the government are respected and observed," said Ninette Kelley, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees representative in Beirut.
Her statement came three days after the government announced new entry controls. Several ministers insisted that the new rules would not close the border to refugees fleeing Syria.
But they said that in the future they would recognize as refugees only those fleeing parts of Syria that have been wracked by violence.
"In order not to allow people with terrorist ties or other security problems to take advantage of the humanitarian situation, we are now being stricter and ensuring that only people with a valid ID or passport are allowed in," a General Security source told AFP in the wake of the decision.
The U.N. Development Program's Luca Renda has also warned of a range of problems in communities in Lebanon that are hosting refugees.
"Competition for jobs, crowding of services, scarcity of drinking water, pressure on waste collection, issues of sanitation (and) increasing tensions between communities," he said.
08 August 2013, 20:47
01
HRW instead of lecturing lebanon on what we should do, go lobbying for refugee camps inside syria. You dont give a hoot about Lebanon's stability. All you see is the refugee part of the equation.
Go lobbying those rich oil countries to welcome palestinians or syrians instead of trying to burden lebanon further.
Shame on your single sidedness.
As for lebanon, Nice going, for once, we put your foot on the ground, and say ENOUGH.
08 August 2013, 22:19
23
Poor people. After fleeing palestine they're fleeing Syria.... What a tragedy.
09 August 2013, 00:00
10
They should be settled in the West Bank , the current Israeli/Palestinian " Peace Talks" what is that about then ?
All those " illegal" settlements built by the Israelis' in the West Bank should be given to all displaced Palestinians from Lebanon, Syria & Jorden . Isn't the refugees part of the Peace Talks? If not then why waste time !
Signed Wolf ...
09 August 2013, 05:51
10
It should be part of the talks, for their sake and for Lebanon's sake. If Plestinian refugees in Lebanon can return to the West Bank and if Israel return Sheb3a farms then there would be no reason for Lebanon not to have peace treaty and end all sort of violations across the borders and and the sea.
09 August 2013, 13:44
00
Why should Israel return the Sha'aba Farms to Lebanon, when the United Nations has declared that they are Syrian territory.
09 August 2013, 07:31
10
___-wolf-___
"all displaced Palestinians". Just how many displaced Palestinians are there?
A displaced person is someone who was forced to leave their home, so in this case it is only people who are over 65 years old.
No one under that age was displaced, they are still living in exactly the same place they were born.
So once again I ask "Just how many displaced Palestinians are there?"
09 August 2013, 07:42
10
Philippo. It is 5AM in Manchester and you are already commenting?
Weird...
Also the children and granchildren of the displaced are to return. Anything else would be unacceptable.
09 August 2013, 08:17
00
As I have previously stated, as I start work at 7.00 I get up early and read the website whilst having my breakfast. What is wrong with that, except that I have to go to bed at 10.00 pm, to get enough beauty sleep.
09 August 2013, 00:15
00
Indeed. But if they hadn't shown such opportunistic ferocity in the past then perhaps the Lebanese government would have been more tolerant regarding the matter. Then again, I don't think it would have made much of a difference since the decision I believe is largely due to the already 1.2 million Syrian refugees that are expected to be accrued by the end of the year. That's more than 25% of the current population of about 4 million. It's simply being responsible so long as there is no clear forecast as to when the war will end and how long they will stay. In fact, Lebanon harbors the largest number of Syrian refugees.
09 August 2013, 00:18
02
Lebanon harbors more refugees than Jordan ( some 9 times larger than Lebanon ), Turkey (some 80 times larger and 30 times richer), and more than Egypt, Iraq, Algeria, and Armenia combined. If Lebanon deserves criticism for toughening the influx then the world has indeed some self-reflecting to do.
09 August 2013, 07:28
10
Looking at the picture, none of them is over 65, so none of them were born in Palestine of the British Mandate, so they are not Palestinians.
It is so easy when you don't want someone to have your nationality when they are born to give them a document stating they are of a different nationality, and this is what Syria, Jordan, and yes, Lebanon have been doing since 1948.
09 August 2013, 08:47
00
HRW should focus on Israel instead.
Lebanon cannot take anymore refugees, especially Palestinians.
Turkey, Jordan and Iraq are much larger countries.
09 August 2013, 13:42
10
You are right, the organisation should concentrate on Israel. The should learn how Israel integrated 800,000 Jewish refugees from the Arab State from 1948 onwards, how she integrated hundreds of thousands of immigrants from the former Soviet Bloc, tens of thousands from Ethiopia, without having a single one of them being placed in a refugee camps for years on end.
09 August 2013, 11:05
10
How stupid are these Israelis ! Are they in touch with reality ? WTF do you think you guys are ? ALL displaced Palestinians regardless of age 65 & over or younger makes no difference You thieves of Israelis ! When you stole their land what did you expect these 65 y.o to do back then ? Become sterilised ? Sure we are hospitable people in Lebanon but don't abuse that you Israelis ! Now these 65 y.o have families & it is up to you Israelis to show some common sense & allow them into the West Bank & hand back ALL illegal Israeli built settlements within the West Bank ! IT IS THEIR RIGHT & YOUR OBLIGATION ! What a bunch of #*^%#*#^ you bunch of thieves you are ! And you are still asking for peace !
Signed Wolf.
09 August 2013, 16:34
10
__-wolf-___
I know that this may be a stupid question to ask, but have you ever met an Israeli? Have you ever talked to an Israeli? If not how do you know that they are stupid?
How many Israelis have won Nobel Prizes? How many from the whole of the Arab World?
The British National Health Service imports more medicines from an Israeli company that from all other companies put together.
So they can't all be stupid.
Israel has Arab Moslem & Druze Ambassadors and Consuls in various countries around the world. Are they also stupid, as they are Israelis?
09 August 2013, 18:35
01
Look yah Israeli , I would love not only to have a peace treaty between Lebanon & Israel but also have TRUE solid genuine friends that are Jews ! But How ? When you Israelis even steal secrets even from you top supporter the US ! How many times have the Israelis been caught with Industrial Espionage? How many Israeli spies are currently in US jails ? Is this how you stay abreast in business ? Unless you ISRAELIS meet your OBLIGATION & return ALL Palestinians Refugees regardless of AGE group because it was you guys that created this mess back to the West Bank ( pre-1967 boarders) ALL illegally built Israeli settlement would house most of these refugees in the W.B as part as a compensation package , then return back our Shebaa Farms then I & other Majority of Lebanese would be more than to become friends & sign a Peace Treaty ! Oh make sure you also don't steal our natural resources such as our water , gas , oil !
Signed Wolf ......
