Refugees illegally deported from the EU

Human Rights Watch criticizes human rights violations against refugees in Cyprus and Lebanon. The EU is financing the isolation policy in both countries

Nicosia/Beirut – While the federal government in Berlin is debating a more stringent migration policy, the daily human rights violations at the EU's external borders are being pushed into the background. A report published on Wednesday (4 September) by the human rights organisation Human Rights Watch casts a grim light on the practices of the Lebanese and Cypriot authorities. The report documents how Syrian refugees are systematically prevented from seeking asylum in Europe and are instead sent back to Syria without legal procedures, where they face persecution and mistreatment.

Cyprus coast guard and Lebanon's military work hand in hand on pushbacks

According to the report, the Lebanese military and the Cypriot coast guards work closely together to intercept and return refugees. These collective expulsions often take place without giving the refugees the opportunity to apply for asylum, which is a clear violation of international law. The human rights organization Amnesty International also documented this illegal practice in 2022.

EU finances border security measures in Lebanon

The European Union has provided millions of euros in funding to Lebanese security authorities between 2020 and 2023, which has also been used for border protection. Critics argue that these funds indirectly help support human rights violations by strengthening Lebanon's capacity to prevent refugees from continuing their journey.

Those affected report harrowing experiences. A 44-year-old Syrian woman described how she and her husband were forcibly taken by the Cypriot coast guard onto a ship that took them back to Lebanon. There, the Lebanese army handed them over directly to Syrian soldiers. The abuse she and other refugees suffered included beatings and electric shocks, according to the Human Rights Watch report.

Legal obligations and international criticism

These practices violate not only the non-refoulement principle of the UN Convention against Torture, but also the European Convention on Human Rights. Experts are calling for both Lebanon and Cyprus to comply with their international obligations and ensure refugee protection. Human Rights Watch is calling for the establishment of independent monitoring mechanisms to ensure that human rights are upheld in border protection measures.

Economic crisis in Lebanon worsens situation of refugees from Syria

The economic crisis in Lebanon is further exacerbating the situation for Syrian refugees. Many are forced to take the high risk of illegal migration to escape poverty and the threat of persecution. According to reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, the reception facilities in Cyprus offer inadequate conditions, which increases people's desperation.

Meanwhile, top politicians from the traffic light coalition negotiated with the opposition CDU on Tuesday (September 3) about tightening migration policy. In response to the attack in Solingen, CDU leader Friedrich Merz called for asylum seekers at the German border to be turned back into neighboring EU countries. (KB)