Photo credit: CTV News
Over 300 Syrian refugees Lebanon went back home on Tuesday.
AP reports that they went in a convoy as anti-refugee crisis erupted in Lebanon.
Lebanese authorities have been urging the international community to either resettle the refugees in other countries or help them go back to Syria.
Lebanon – a country of about 6 million people – is hosting nearly 780,000 registered Syrian refugees. There are hundreds of thousands who are unregistered
In recent months, some Lebanese political parties have been demanding that Syrian refugees go back home.
Lebanese security forces have been stepping up deportations of Syrians this year.
However, many other Syrians – especially young men facing compulsory military service or political opponents of the government – say it’s unsafe to return.
Meanwhile, an increasing number of refugees in Lebanon have taken to the sea in an attempt to reach Europe.
The UNHCR says it only supports the voluntary returns of Syrians based on informed consent.
Amnesty International and other human rights organisations have documented cases of refugees detained and tortured by Syrian security agencies upon their return.
