In recent weeks, CLDH (Lebanese Center for Human Rights) has been informed of several cases of refugees being held in inhumane conditions in the General Security’s underground retention center to compel them to accept their return to their country of origin despite their UNHCR recognized refugee status. It should be noted that those detained, in most cases arbitrarily - because they have already served their sentence – have no regular contacts with either the UNHCR or any human rights NGO once placed in the retention center.
By definition, a refugee is a person remaining outside the country of his/her nationality, who has a reason to fear persecution there and who cannot return because this very fear. The UNHCR considers the situation of asylum seekers entering Lebanon and rules on the reality of their fears. In the case these are founded, it issues them a UNHCR refugee status, which certifies that they cannot return to their countries of origin.
Although Lebanon has not ratified the Geneva Convention relating to the status of refugees[4], the country is nevertheless obliged to implement the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment[5].
However, the situation of refugees detained arbitrarily in Lebanon represents a double violation of the Convention against Torture, firstly because the pressures they face to get them to sign documents by which they accept their expulsion correspond exactly to the definition of torture, and secondly because Article 3 of the Convention prohibits the expulsion of persons to countries where they risk being subjected to torture[6].
CLDH urges the Lebanese Government to:
- Release immediately and unconditionally all refugees recognized by the UNHCR
- Formally prohibit the security forces to arrest people under UNHCR protection solely on the basis of their unlawful entry / stay in Lebanon
- Grant unlimited access of the General Security retention center to the UNHCR
- Accelerate the relocation process of the retention center to an appropriate place to host human beings.
CLDH asks the UNHCR to take the necessary measures to protect the persons within its mandate, including finding effective solutions, both immediate and long term, with the Lebanese authorities.
Although Lebanon has not ratified the Geneva Convention relating to the status of refugees[4], the country is nevertheless obliged to implement the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment[5].
However, the situation of refugees detained arbitrarily in Lebanon represents a double violation of the Convention against Torture, firstly because the pressures they face to get them to sign documents by which they accept their expulsion correspond exactly to the definition of torture, and secondly because Article 3 of the Convention prohibits the expulsion of persons to countries where they risk being subjected to torture[6].
CLDH urges the Lebanese Government to:
- Release immediately and unconditionally all refugees recognized by the UNHCR
- Formally prohibit the security forces to arrest people under UNHCR protection solely on the basis of their unlawful entry / stay in Lebanon
- Grant unlimited access of the General Security retention center to the UNHCR
- Accelerate the relocation process of the retention center to an appropriate place to host human beings.
CLDH asks the UNHCR to take the necessary measures to protect the persons within its mandate, including finding effective solutions, both immediate and long term, with the Lebanese authorities.
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