Syrian refugees face illegal ‘push-backs’

CounterVortex
Lesvos

The Cyprus spokesperson for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Emilia Strovolidou, has urged the country to stop forcibly pushing away Syrian refugee boats arriving from Lebanon, a practice that violates international human rights law and the principle of non-refoulement. According to reports from the Associated Press and monitoring group EuroMed Rights, Strovolidou accused Cyprus authorities of using “violent” tactics to “destabilize” boats in order to thwart refugees from arriving on the island’s shores. (Jurist)

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch says Lebanese authorities have “arbitrarily detained, tortured, and forcibly returned Syrians to Syria in recent months.” The watchdog group also noted recent reports of violence against refugees and new restrictions imposed on Syrians following the killing of a Lebanese politician. (TNH)

Pascal Sleiman was a coordinator in the Byblos (Jbeil) area north of Beirut for the Lebanese Forces, a Christian party which opposes the regime in neighboring Syria and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah. Authorities said that Sleiman was killed in a carjacking April 7 by Syrian gang members. (AFP)

See our last reports on summary deportation of Syrian refugees.

Photo: Syrian refugees arriving in Lesvos, Greece. Greek authorities have also been accused of push-backs. Via Wikimedia Commons

  1. Anti-Syrian riots in Turkey

    Anti-Syrian riots erupted in Kayseri and a other Turkish cities, following claims of an assault on a minor by a Syrian refugee. Syrian shops and businesses were destroyed in the violence. That also sparked a reaction in northern Syria against Turkish soldiers stationed there, with seven protesters killed by Turkish and allied forces in Afrin. The Bab al-Hawaborder crossing—the main trade and aid channel for over 3 million people—as well as the Bab al Salam and other smaller crossings are closed until further notice. (PRI, AFP, Time)

  2. Amnesty: unlawful conditions in Greece refugee center

    Amnesty International released a report July 30 decrying harsh conditions at the Samos Closed Controlled Access Center (CCAC) in Greece. The report stated that the arbitrary detention of the refugees violates European standards and international law. Amnesty urged the EU to hold Greece accountable for human rights violations and warned that the current handling of the EU-funded refugee center by Greek authorities doesn’t align with the adopted Migration & Asylum Pact. (Jurist)