A Syrian family camp in Didde, North Lebanon, dismantled on Monday. (Photo courtesy of Rabih Ayyoubi)
Have the Lebanese authorities shifted into high gear regarding the departure of Syrian refugees and migrants in Lebanon? After a “voluntary return” convoy to Syria in mid-May, which only managed to attract some 200 people, on Monday the police evacuated almost 1,500 Syrians living in a commercial complex in Didde (Koura), and a nearby camp. Similar operations have been reported in the Batroun district in recent days, while further evacuations are planned, according to information provided to L'Orient-Le Jour by the governor of North Lebanon, Ramzi Nohra.
The Didde expulsions were carried out by the State Security Department, in the presence of Nohra, Didde municipality president Rabih Ayoubi, Lebanese Forces (LF) MP Fady Karam and Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) MP Georges Atallah. The two rival Christian parties are both in favor of the expulsion of Syrian refugees and migrants, as called for by other political parties and a large section of the Lebanese population.
'Unsanitary' building
The Syrians living in the Didde complex were “in an irregular situation” and living in Lebanon “for economic reasons, not because they had problems with the Syrian regime,” Ayoubi told L'Orient-Le Jour. According to him, the expulsion was not aimed at “refugees” or “displaced persons” (a term adopted by the Lebanese authorities) who had fled the war in Syria.
“We have nothing against them, but the building in which they were living was insalubrious, and sewage was being poured into the basement, which created numerous problems and led to the spread of certain diseases,” explained the official.
The governor of North Lebanon, Ramzi Nohra (foreground, left), supervising the dismantling of a camp occupied by Syrians, in Didde, on May 20, 2024. (Credit: NNA)
Recent expulsions of Syrians and the closure of shops and businesses run by illegal residents have sparked controversy in recent days, following criticism from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Lebanon. The organization, which denounced “inhumane measures” decided by outgoing Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi to crack down on Syrians living illegally in the country, has drawn the wrath of the Lebanese authorities.
“We apply the decisions of the authorities. All informal camps will be dismantled,” insisted Nohra. He points out that expulsions have recently taken place in Kfifane and Kfar Helda in the Batroun district, and that others will soon be carried out in Asia and Kouba, in the same district. Responding to criticism from the UNHCR, Nohra believes that the UN agency “has no right” to attack Lebanese officials.
In Kouba, almost 1,100 Syrians in an irregular situation have been notified of their imminent expulsion, with an ultimatum set for May 28, according to Élias Mello, president of the local municipality. “The village has 700 inhabitants and 1,100 Syrians. Nearly 200 of them have valid papers. The rest entered Lebanon illegally,” he told L'Orient-Le Jour. “Our infrastructures are not adapted to such an influx. We can't collect waste and land prices have fallen because of the presence” of Syrians, he adds.
Akkar, a new refuge?
According to Elias Mello, several families have already left Kouba for Akkar, further north, a few kilometers from the Syrian border. The same applies to the Syrians forced to leave Kfifane a week ago, according to the president of the local municipality.
Contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour, Zaher Kassar, governor of the town of Bebnin (Akkar), confirmed that many Syrian families have recently arrived in the area, having been expelled from other regions. He was unable to provide exact figures. Shuffled from one region to another, these new arrivals are causing concern in Akkar, an already impoverished region. “With these new arrivals, we have more and more problems with access to water, sewage treatment and waste collection,” explained Kassar. Among these Syrians, “there are people who really have problems with the regime and can't go back, and others who are simply taking advantage of the aid offered in Lebanon while making frequent trips back and forth to Syria,” he believes.
L'Orient-Le Jour tried to contact the UNHCR to comment on the recent expulsions, but the agency could not be reached.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.