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Why Syrian Refugees in Lebanon Are Ready to Return Home

© AFP 2023 / JOSEPH EIDSyrian refugees walking at an unofficial refugee camp near a snow covered mountain in the village of Deir Zannoun in Lebanon's Bekaa valley.
Syrian refugees walking at an unofficial refugee camp near a snow covered mountain in the village of Deir Zannoun in Lebanon's Bekaa valley. - Sputnik International
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The situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon is deteriorating day by day. International organizations and the local government cannot provide women with the necessary support. Sputnik Arabic spoke about this situation with a specialist in the protection of women’s and children’s rights, lawyer Sabah Hallak.

A Syrian refugee couple carry their belongings as refugees and migrants arrive aboard the passenger ferry Nissos Rodos at the port of Piraeus, near Athens, Greece, January 13, 2016 - Sputnik International
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“Many Lebanese and Syrian organizations work in order to explain to Syrian refugees their rights. Women are subjected to exploitation and harassment. They are constantly verbally pestered in the streets and shops. They suffer from sexual violence and from other hidden forms of assaults such as forced early marriages. They also become victims of slave trade,” Hallak told Sputnik Arabic.

According to the lawyer, these female refugees are ready to return home as soon as the situation can be called, somewhat safe.

Furthermore, the refugees consider the issue of education to be the biggest problem. The lawyer said that according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees more than 50,000 Syrian refugee children do not have access to education for several reasons.

“Firstly, according to the Lebanese laws it is rather difficult for refugees to take admission in the schools. Secondly, they can only study during the second shift of the day from 2 p.m.to 7 p.m. Because of this, many girls cannot attend classes as it is difficult for their parents to organize a safe return of the kids back home,” Hallak said.

She further said that without schooling children become vulnerable and fall victim to such terrible cases as getting recruited into armed groups.

“We believe in the best despite the difficult conditions both in Syria and Lebanon. We hope that a peace agreement will be signed and it will give freedom to all Syrians so that we will be able to return to our homes,” the lawyer concluded.

There are more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon currently. 70% of them are women and children.

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