Amnesty decries Lebanese ban on Palestinians fleeing Syria

Human rights group calls practice ‘blatantly discriminatory’ as Beirut tries to keep certain refugees out

Illustrative photo of Syrian refugees, May 29, 2014 (AFP/Anwar Amro)
Illustrative photo of Syrian refugees, May 29, 2014 (AFP/Anwar Amro)

Lebanon is acting in a “blatantly discriminatory” manner by denying access to Palestinians fleeing the conflict in neighboring Syria, Amnesty International said in a report on Tuesday.

The watchdog said Lebanon has imposed increasingly onerous entry requirements at the border with Syria and that there was evidence it is trying to prevent Palestinian refugees from entering via Beirut airport.

“The Lebanese government’s policies and practices towards Palestinian refugees from Syria have led to a range of serious human rights violations,” said Amnesty.

“The policies — which treat Palestinian refugees from Syria differently to other refugees — are also blatantly discriminatory,” it added.

Lebanon is hosting more than one million refugees from Syria, or about a quarter of its population.

Amnesty acknowledged that hosting the refugees put Lebanon under “immense strain” and criticized the international community for failing to provide more support.

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