Amnesty International urges Lebanon to halt forced deportation of Syrian refugees

Amnesty International has called on Lebanese authorities to immediately stop forcibly deporting Syrian refugees back to Syria, citing the danger of torture and persecution at the hands of the Syrian government upon their return.

The organization, founded 62 years ago in the UK, considers Lebanon's actions towards displaced Syrians inhumane.

However, the organization overlooked the fact that Denmark, an important European country, announced about a month ago that the governorates of Damascus, Rif Damascus, Latakia, and Tartous are safe areas for Syrians to return to.

The Danish Ministry of Immigration clarified to LBCI that these areas are safe according to the Danish Immigration Authority's classification, implying that they do not forcibly return Syrian refugees.

However, Copenhagen has stated that it has refused to extend residence and asylum permits for around 160 Syrians since 2019 as part of its policy of non-normalization.

Thus, under the announcement of safe areas, Denmark automatically says that every Syrian refugee from one of these areas must return, meaning their residence permit will not be renewed.

What Europeans find acceptable for Denmark does not apply to Lebanon, and Denmark is allowed to return thousands of refugees, and it is not inhumane. As for Lebanon, the displaced make up half of its population, and it is prohibited from returning any refugees.