The Refugees Platform in Egypt (RPE) has documented the alarming situation of a Syrian refugee, M. A. R., who is currently detained by Egyptian authorities at Cairo International Airport since the 2nd of December. This distressing development transpired after the Lebanese authorities denied his entry into Lebanon, despite his registration with the UNHCR in Lebanon. Instead, he was forcibly deported to Egypt on Egypt Air’s Flight 710.
According to credible information obtained by the RPE, there are plans by the Egyptian authorities to deport M. A. R. on the first available flight to Syria.
The urgency of the situation prompted RPE to notify UNHCR Egypt, seeking immediate intervention and a moratorium on the forced deportation. Of particular concern is the fact that M. A. R. is the son of a Syrian opponent who was killed by the Syrian regime.
The responsibility for M. A. R.’s safety lies with both the Egyptian authorities and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Egypt. RPE implores them to uphold the rights and obligations of refugees, emphasizing the critical importance of not violating the principle of non-refoulement as outlined in the 1951 Convention and its complementary Protocol, both of which Egypt has signed and ratified.
RPE underscores the severe risks that refugees and asylum-seekers face upon returning to Syria, including the potential for torture, enforced disappearance, and even murder.
#SyriaIsNotSafe
