HRW decries expulsion of Syrian refugees from Lebanon

By Wasim Saif al-Din

BEIRUT

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday condemned the expulsion of hundreds of Syrian refugees from their temporary residences in Lebanon.

“At least 13 municipalities in Lebanon have forcibly evicted at least 3,664 Syrian refugees from their homes and expelled them from the municipalities, apparently because of their nationality or religion,” HRW said in a Friday report.

“Another 42,000 refugees remain at risk of eviction,” the report added.

“Municipalities have no legitimate justification for forcibly evicting Syrian refugees if it amounts to nationality-based or religious discrimination,” Bill Frelick, HRW’s director for refugee rights and the author of the report, said.

According to the report, HRW interviewed 57 Syrian refugees affected by the recent evictions, as well as municipal officials and legal experts.

“In some cases, Syrians said the [Lebanese] authorities used violence to evict them,” the report stated.

According to activists, Syrian refugees in Lebanon remain subject to frequent "racist" acts, including raids on their homes and deportation.