Paris, France, 28 July 2026
Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR) expresses its grave concern over the escalating wave of raids targeting Syrian refugee camps in the Bekaa Governorate over the past two weeks. These operations have been accompanied by arrests, the confiscation of cars and motorcycles, deportations, and the demolition of refugees’ shelters, without clear legal or judicial safeguards to protect the rights of those affected. They have also been accompanied by repeated reports of ill-treatment and physical assault. This campaign has continued uninterrupted over the past several years and has steadily intensified without any official suspension. This statement is based on field documentation conducted by ACHR through the collection of testimonies from camp residents and reliable field sources. It should be noted that some information, particularly regarding the exact numbers of detainees and deportees in certain incidents, is still undergoing independent verification.
I. Documented Facts
1. Qab Elias Camp, Zahle District (10 July 2026)
Friday, 10 July 2026, units of the Lebanese Army carried out a raid targeting a number of Syrian refugee camps in the town of Qab Elias, Zahle District, Beqaa Governorate. According to testimonies received by the Centre, the raid resulted in the arrest of six Syrian refugees, while two others were beaten by army personnel without being detained. A motorcycle and a car belonging to camp residents were also confiscated. Those arrested were transferred to a military centre in the Beqaa region before being deported via the Masnaa border crossing to the Syrian side.According to statements from camp residents, the security authorities justified the operation by reference to security inspection measures, as well as matters relating to irregular entry into Lebanon or the expiry of certain individuals’ residency permits.
2. Al-Faour Camp, Zahle District (14 July 2026)
ACHR recorded information concerning a raid targeting Syrian refugee camps in the town of Al-Faour, Zahle District, accompanied by reports of the arrest and deportation of dozens of individuals to Syria. The Centre notes that it has not been able to independently verify the precise numbers of those detained or deported, or their fate, as of the date of this statement.
3. Demolition of ‘Fadi al-Mais Camp’ in the Bar Elias, Deir Zannoun Area (16 July 2026)
ACHR documented that the Lebanese Army Intelligence Directorate, in cooperation with the municipality of Bar Elias and its municipal police, carried out the demolition and forced eviction of a Syrian refugee camp known as “Fadi Al-Mays Camp” in the Bar Elias–Deir Zanoun area on 16 July 2026.
According to information documented by the Centre, the camp consisted of more than 32 tents and was home to approximately 35 Syrian refugee families registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), who had been living at the site for more than ten years. The camp’s population was estimated at around 400 people, the majority of whom were women and children.
The available information indicates that the demolition and eviction were carried out following a dispute between the owners of the property. One of the owners reportedly enlisted the assistance of the municipality, its municipal police, and the Lebanese Army to forcibly carry out the eviction. The Centre also received testimonies indicating that several young men were beaten during the operation. The demolition left dozens of families displaced after they lost their shelters and belongings. Some families were forced to disperse across different areas of the Bekaa in search of alternative accommodation, while others returned to Syria after being unable to find another place to live in Lebanon.
4. Btedai Camp, Deir al-Ahmar (23 July 2026)
on Thursday, 23 July 2026, the Lebanese Army and its Intelligence Directorate carried out a raid on a Syrian refugee camp in the town of Bteddai – Deir El Ahmar, resulting in the arrest of eleven Syrian refugees, amid consistent testimonies indicating that they were subjected to beatings and ill-treatment during the raid and throughout the interrogation.
According to information documented by the Centre, the detainees were transferred to a branch of the Lebanese Army Intelligence Directorate in the town of Deir El Ahmar, where they were interrogated. Testimonies received by ACHR stated that all of the detainees were beaten during their period of detention. At a later stage, five of the detainees were released after it was confirmed that they possessed legal residency documents, despite those documents having expired. The remaining six detainees were transferred to a security facility in the Ablah area before being deported to Syria later that same night. According to the available information, the reasons for their arrest and deportation were that those deported did not possess personal identification documents or legal residency in Lebanon.
These raids take place in the context of ongoing restrictive measures targeting Syrian refugees across several areas of the Bekaa and northern Lebanon. These measures include the imposition of a nightly curfew until 8:00 p.m., the confiscation of cars and motorcycles owned by Syrian refugees, and the imposition of monthly municipal fees on refugee families under threat of eviction if they fail to pay. Security checkpoints have also been established in several areas (Barqayel, Bzal, Qoubaiyat, Hrar, Al-Saddaqah, and Mishmish), alongside raids targeting individuals wanted in unrelated cases.
Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR) considers that the coincidence of these measures with the repeated raids raises serious concerns about the existence of a pattern of collective targeting of Syrian refugees based on their legal status or identity, without adequate legal or judicial safeguards to protect each individual on a case-by-case basis.
II. Legal Framework
The Lebanese Constitution, in its Preamble (Paragraph B), affirms Lebanon’s commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and provides that the State “shall embody these principles in all rights and fields without exception.” Article 8 also expressly provides that “individual liberty is guaranteed and protected by law, and no person may be arrested, imprisoned, or detained except in accordance with the provisions of the law.” Accordingly, any arrest or detention must be based on clear legal and judicial procedures, rather than arbitrary administrative or security practices. Furthermore, pursuant to the provisions of the Law on Foreign Nationals of 10 July 1962 and its amendments, the Director General of General Security is granted the authority to issue deportation decisions against foreign nationals in specified exceptional cases. However, the exercise of this authority must remain subject to safeguards requiring an individual assessment of each case, non-discrimination, and the prohibition of exposing the deportee to a real risk in the country of destination. Nor should the authority designated by law (General Security) be replaced by other bodies carrying out arrests and deportations in the field without a clear legal basis, as the documented incidents above indicate a direct role by the Lebanese Army and its Intelligence Directorate in these operations. The absence of information regarding the incidents addressed in this statement also raises serious concern as to the application of the safeguards set out in the Code of Criminal Procedure, including the procedural guarantees governing arrest and detention, the detainee’s right to communicate with family members and a lawyer, and the time limits for detention before being brought before the competent judicial authority.
As Lebanon is a member of the United Nations and contributed to the drafting of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to liberty and security of person, prohibits arbitrary arrest or detention, and guarantees the right of every detainee to be informed promptly of the reasons for their arrest and of any charges against them, to be brought promptly before a judge, and to have access to judicial review of the lawfulness of their detention. Lebanon is also a State Party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which prohibits subjecting any person to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and prohibits returning any person by force to a State where there are substantial grounds for believing that they would be in danger of being subjected to torture. The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, particularly the provisions relating to the prohibition of arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile, the prohibition of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and the right of every person to own property and not to be arbitrarily deprived of it, also establishes a set of fundamental principles that Lebanon is required to respect and uphold. Accordingly, Lebanon’s accession to these international instruments, as a founding Member State of the United Nations and a party to the relevant international conventions, imposes upon it a legal obligation to respect and implement their provisions in good faith, and to harmonise its domestic legislation and practices with international human rights standards, thereby ensuring that the rights and freedoms guaranteed by these instruments are not undermined.
In light of the foregoing ACHR expresses its concern regarding several common elements shared by the incidents documented above. These include the lack of legal transparency, reflected in the failure to clarify the precise legal and judicial grounds on which the arrests and deportations were based, and the failure to provide sufficient information to the families of detainees regarding their places of detention or their fate, as occurred in the Bteddai–Deir El Ahmar incident. The repeated testimonies concerning ill-treatment and beatings during arrest operations and demolitions also warrant the opening of an independent and transparent investigation into these allegations. Furthermore, the deportation of groups of individuals without an adequate individual assessment of each case to verify that none of them would face a risk upon return to Syria may constitute a violation of the principle of non-refoulement.
Moreover, the demolition of shelters and the forced eviction carried out in the “Fadi Al-Mays Camp” incident, in which a collective shelter housing refugee families was demolished and its residents were forcibly evicted, raises serious questions regarding compliance with minimum legal and humanitarian safeguards, including prior notice and the provision of adequate alternative housing. The coincidence of these measures with additional practices, such as the imposition of curfews, the confiscation of vehicles, and the imposition of monthly fees under threat of eviction, may reflect a pattern of discriminatory measures and collective treatment targeting a specific population group on the basis of their origin and legal status, contrary to the principle of non-discrimination and the fundamental guarantees enshrined in international human rights instruments.
Therefore , Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR) calls upon the relevant Lebanese authorities, foremost among them the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, the Command of the Lebanese Army, and the competent Public Prosecutors, to:
- Open an independent and transparent investigation into all allegations of beatings and ill-treatment contained in this statement, and hold accountable any personnel found to have been involved in violations.
- Halt collective deportations and ensure an individual assessment of each case in accordance with the principle of non-refoulement, particularly with respect to persons who may face a real risk upon return to Syria.
- End the demolition of shelters and the forced eviction of refugee camps, and ensure that any administrative measures concerning such camps are carried out within the framework of the law, with adequate prior notice and effective remedies made available to those affected