The Progressive Socialist Party is voicing its concerns alone regarding the issue of Syrian refugees, while other political forces are eager for their repatriation, considering them a significant financial and social burden on the war-torn country. The Progressive Socialist Party warned that incitement against Syrian refugees "intensifies social and security risks and offers no real solution," criticizing their return as "suspect" and lacking necessary guarantees. This stance follows President Michel Aoun’s announcement that the completion of the maritime border agreement will be followed by the gradual return of Syrian refugees to their country starting next week, with about 1,600 displaced families expected to return through coordination between the Lebanese General Security and Syrian authorities.
Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar stated in a radio interview that "Lebanon does not need international green light to repatriate refugees, as we are a sovereign state with our own choices, informing the international community only about what we want to do." He noted that "we are at a stage of accepting requests from those who wish to return voluntarily, and the coming phase will see further steps that will be taken by the Lebanese state."
In contrast to Lebanese pressures for the return of refugees, Amnesty International urged the Lebanese authorities to cease the collective repatriation, saying Lebanon's plan "knowingly exposes Syrian refugees to the risk of facing horrific forms of violations and persecution upon their return to Syria." Diana Semaan, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa regional office for Amnesty, stated that "Lebanese authorities are expanding the scope of what is called 'voluntary return,' a plan in place for four years, while it is clear that Syrian refugees in Lebanon are not in a position to make a free and informed decision about their return."
She added in a statement that this is "due to restrictive government policies regarding movement and residency, rampant discrimination, lack of access to basic services, as well as the unavailability of objective and updated information on the current human rights situation in Syria." Semaan called on Lebanon to "respect its commitments under international law and halt its plans for the collective return of Syrian refugees." She urged the international community to "continue supporting over a million Syrian refugees in Lebanon amid the country’s escalating economic crisis to prevent any further escalation of unsafe return processes."
The Progressive Socialist Party condemned "the rising tide of populist rhetoric and statements that take on a racist tone against Syrian refugees in Lebanon," questioning "who insists on their suspicious return, what security or military guarantees have been provided? Who gave those illusory guarantees? What are the justifications for pushing in this inhumane direction while the factors of repression, arrest, and killing remain unchanged in Syria?" The party emphasized that "the suffering of Lebanon and the Lebanese from acute living, economic, and financial crises is not rooted in the issue of Syrian displacement, but the real causes are well-known and primarily stem from poor policies, mismanagement, waste, and corruption," stating in its announcement: "Enough of this term's imaginary achievements."
Sources from the Progressive Socialist Party explained that "the party's position opposing the unsafe return of displaced persons is not new; it is a principled stance calling for full compliance with safe and voluntary return." They noted in a statement to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that "this position aligns perfectly with that of the international community and international organizations." They asked, "What are the guarantees against the Syrian regime pursuing opponents and restoring their properties and lands?" For his part, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Director Rami Abdul Rahman confirmed that "the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland is not safe at all except for those loyal to the regime, who are present in Lebanon for economic reasons," stressing in a statement to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that "the return of any opponent of the regime to Syria is unequivocally unsafe under the current conditions."
