Rights Group Accuses Lebanon and Cyprus of Violating Refugees’ Human Rights

A global watchdog report released on Wednesday revealed that European aid aimed at regulating sea migration to Lebanon is being used to fund practices that violate human rights. According to the report by Human Rights Watch, authorities in Cyprus have been physically pushing Syrian refugees back to Lebanon, while Lebanese security agencies have deported them.

The report is based on interviews with 16 Syrians who attempted to leave Lebanon by smuggler boats. Of these, 15 reported experiencing human rights violations by Lebanese or Cypriot authorities, or both.

Human rights organizations have consistently criticized how Lebanon and Cyprus handle migrants and asylum seekers. Officials from both nations deny any legal violations, stating that they are overwhelmed by the volume of migration.

Lebanon, struggling with a financial crisis since 2019, hosts approximately 775,000 registered Syrian refugees, with many more unregistered, giving it the highest refugee population per capita in the world. Lebanese political leaders have advocated for Western countries to resettle refugees or assist in their return to Syria, whether voluntarily or not. Lebanon also has an agreement with Cyprus to prevent migrant smuggling and has received significant funding from the European Union (EU) and other European nations to bolster border control efforts.

Human Rights Watch noted that Syrian refugees caught by the Lebanese army while trying to flee to Cyprus by sea were often transported to the Lebanon-Syria border and abandoned on the Syrian side. Some of these refugees were reportedly detained by the Syrian army, while others had to pay smugglers to return to Lebanon.

In Cyprus, the processing of Syrian asylum applications was suspended in April. The report accused Cypriot authorities of forcibly turning back boats carrying asylum seekers from Lebanon. Some asylum seekers were blocked from landing, while others reached shore but were denied the chance to claim asylum, detained, and then sent back to Lebanon, where some were subsequently deported to Syria.

The report also highlighted the use of excessive force by both Lebanese and Cypriot authorities during arrests and detention.

Between 2020 and 2023, the European Union and European countries provided Lebanon with approximately 16.7 million euros ($18.5 million) for border management, primarily through capacity-building projects aimed at curbing irregular migration. In August, the EU allocated another 32 million euros ($35.3 million) for continued border management efforts in Lebanon through 2025.

In response to the allegations, Cyprus’ Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection denied conducting “pushbacks,” stating that Cyprus is a small frontline country that has faced a massive influx of migrants in recent years. The ministry emphasized that the country’s capacity to host more migrants is overstretched, and it is striving to balance its legal responsibilities with the realities on the ground.

Lebanon’s General Security agency reported that between January 1, 2022, and August 1, 2024, it had intercepted 1,388 people, including 821 Syrians, on 15 boats attempting to leave the country. The agency asserted that all deportations it coordinated adhered to international human rights laws.

Beate Gminder, the Acting Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, responded to the report, emphasizing that the European Commission takes such allegations seriously. She added that national authorities are responsible for investigating and prosecuting any violations of fundamental rights.