Refugees

Rights to a future: Threats to material safety (October 2017)

Currently, Lebanon hosts over 1.5 million Syrians and 500,000 registered Palestinian refugees1, amounting to the highest number of refugees per capita in the world. Even though the Syrian refugee crisis is in its sixth year and there is an abundant ow of international support, policy- makers fail to respond to the crisis adequately and in [...]

Reinforce human rights as an essential element in cooperation between the EU and Lebanon

In the coming months, the EU and Lebanon will agree on more detailed plans for the implementation of their partnership for the coming years. On the 17th of July, the EU-Lebanon Association Council will convene, following the agreement on new Partnership Priorities plus Compact and an Outline of a Single Support Framework. Whereas human rights [...]

Why financial assistance alone is not enough

The need for a comprehensive response to the Syrian refugee crisis George Ghali[1] The European Union’s international conference “Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region”, better known as the Brussels conference (April 4-5), will essentially aim at assessing where the international community stands in fulfilling commitments made to address the Syrian crisis. As in [...]

ALEF Annual Report 2016

As in previous years, the Lebanese government has taken some positive steps towards promoting human rights in 2016, but has missed several opportunities to uphold the country’s international obligations, and failed to address major protection concerns of the general population. The Lebanese criminal justice system continues to overlook many of the international standards set by [...]

Establishing the Primacy of Human Rights in Security Sector Reform in Lebanon

Foreign donors and security agencies are multiplying their efforts to reform the security sector in Lebanon. In such context, ALEF advocates for a security sector reform (SSR) approach that promotes human rights compliance in addition to state empowerment and the inclusion of civil society in the process. Based on interviews with security agencies, foreign donors, [...]

Perceptions of Security Among Syrian Refugees and Lebanese Host Community – Al Marj Bekaa

With more than one million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, the country has reached the highest rate of refugees to residents in the world today1. This reality presents, without a doubt, a very serious challenge to the security and stability of Lebanon in a region that is already in turmoil. The international community has unanimously and [...]

Promoting better human rights practices in security sector reforms implemented in Lebanon

The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (Lebanon) Enhancing communication between the Lebanese security sector and all stakeholders Strengthening ALEF’s advocacy towards security sector reform Sept 2016 – February 2017 […]

The Syrian Refugees Monitoring Unit (SRMU)

To address policy directives at the national, regional and international level affecting Syrian refugees in Lebanon on matters of protection and durable solutions To promote a rights-based approach to assistance, relief, and programming of the humanitarian community working in Lebanon 2012 – Present PAX (Netherlands) […]

Annual Report 2015

The following report highlights Lebanon’s improvements and setbacks of the most pressing human rights issues in 2015. The Lebanese government has shown a willingness to comply with certain human rights matters, however it clearly lacks the capacity and funds to improve legislation, enforce laws, and report to the United Nations (UN) properly. With regard to [...]

Trapped in Lebanon: The alarming human rights situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon

This report analyses the human rights and human security situation of refugees from Syria and their impact on the Lebanese society. Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria, Lebanon has received ever-increasing numbers of Syrian citizens and Palestinian refugees living in Syria who were seeking refuge. With almost one and a half million refugees [...]