Syria Refugees Suffer Abuse Torture Upon Return

According to Amnesty International, a number of Syrian refugees who went home have been subjected to incarceration, disappearance, and torture by Syrian security forces, demonstrating that it is still unsafe to return to any region of the country.

Between mid-2017 and spring 2021, the rights group documented violations by Syrian intelligence personnel against 66 returnees, including 13 minors, in a study titled "You're Going to Your Death." Five detainees died in custody after returning to a country ripped apart by civil strife, while the fate of 17 persons who were forcibly disappeared remains unclear.

The analysis refutes statements made by a number of countries that sections of Syria are now safe to visit. It notably blames Denmark, Sweden, and Turkey for limiting protection and pressuring Syrian refugees to return home. It also attacks Lebanon and Jordan, which have among the greatest per capita populations of Syrian refugees.

Governments in Lebanon and Turkey, where many Syrian refugees experience deplorable living circumstances and discrimination, have increased pressure on them to return. In the previous two years, Turkey is said to have forcibly deported a large number of Syrians, reflecting strong anti-refugee sentiment in a country that once welcomed millions of Syrians fleeing civil war.

Some Syrian refugees' residency cards were revoked by Denmark and Sweden early this year, claiming that the Syrian capital, Damascus, and adjacent territories were now safe.

That assessment is supported by a small number of professionals. While the security situation in government-controlled areas and many portions of central Syria previously held by opposition fighters has improved, reports of forced conscription, indiscriminate detentions, and forced disappearances persist. Entire communities have been destroyed, and many inpiduals will be unable to return to their homes. Water and electricity are among the few basic utilities that are available.

“Any government claiming Syria is now secure is intentionally disregarding the horrible reality on the ground, leaving refugees terrified for their lives once more,” said Marie Forestier, an Amnesty International expert on refugee and migrant rights. While military confrontations in most parts of Syria have subsided, the Syrian government's "propensity for gross human rights crimes" has not, she said.

The Syrian government and its main foreign sponsor, Russia, have publicly urged refugees to come home, accusing Western countries of deterring them by claiming Syria remains dangerous.

Amnesty International encouraged European countries to immediately end any practise of compelling people to return home, whether directly or indirectly. It also urged Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan, which host the majority of Syrian refugees, to safeguard them from expulsion or any other kind of forcible return, in accordance with their international commitments.

According to the report, Syrian authorities have targeted returnees to Syria just because they fled, accusing them of treason or supporting "terrorist."

Accusations of human rights violations are often dismissed by the Syrian government as lies.

Between mid-2017 and spring 2021, the Syrian government perpetrated major violations against refugees returning to Syria from Lebanon, Rukban (an informal settlement between the Jordanian and Syrian borders), as well as France, Germany, Turkey, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates. It was based on conversations with 41 Syrians, including returnees, relatives, and friends, as well as lawyers, humanitarian workers, and Syria experts.

Human rights breaches included rape or other types of sexual violence, arbitrary or unlawful detention, and torture or other forms of ill-treatment in certain cases, according to the report.

Syria's ten-year civil conflict has killed half a million people and driven 5.6 million to migrate to neighbouring countries as refugees.