AYS Daily Digest 10/09/21: A visit to the Austrian border police — “doing what they are told” at the initial point of chain pushbacks
By: Are You Syrious
Tags: Austria, Digest, Europe, Refugees, Lebanon

LEBANON

It’s been two years that Lebanon has been in a devastating economic crisis (an economic crisis that the World Bank has called one of the top 10 most severe crises globally since the 19th century), and 13 months since the explosions of unclear origin took place in Beirut’s main port, reaching and destroying big parts of the country and it’s connection to global trade. These 13 months have been marked by a missing cabinet as the former one withdrew shortly after the explosion and could reform legally — thus accepted by all three religious decision-makers — just now.

13 months with only a minimally working government in emergency status means 13 months of not tackling structural problems. The majority of the population is living below the poverty line, food prize stay high, fuel is nearly impossible to get and even medicine is now getting scarce. Electricity is available for one hour per day. Furthermore, employment and salaries have both declined which leads to citizens leaving the country for good, including doctors — the basic needs can less and less be met.

Lebanon has taken in the most refugees in comparison to it’s own population worldwide, and it is estimated that 40 percent of the overall population are refugees. More than a third of those are minors — while in 2020, 89% of Syrian refugee families lived below the extreme poverty line. The majority is lacking legal status, which is heightening risks of exploitation and abuse and restricting refugees’ access to work, education, and healthcare. Many of the people live in temporary shelters in harsh weather conditions of hot summers and cold, wet winters.

This collapsing country and all it’s people have been waiting for a new government for over a year, unrealized due to political and religious games of power. Now, under prime minister Nadschib Mikati, a new cabinet has formed — consisting mainly of the old elite sadly infamous for corruption and embezzling money. Also, consisting of 23 men and 1 woman in total. Though the disappointment in the population is deep and hope can only be kept until official elections in may 2022, a positive turn in the first days:

In 2019, the authorities in Beirut began forcibly returning some Syrian refugees but halted this in 2020 due to border closures linked to the pandemic; now this would have happened again to 6 Syrian men, but as a “welcome statement” the General Security Office of the new found government declared the men to be safe to stay in Lebanon. What that will mean for internal asylum politics has to be seen. We are awaiting news about the cooperation between Cyprus and Lebanon, which has so far resulted in pushbacks by the Cypriot state forces and a following expulsion from Lebanon. Find out more on the case and Amnesty International’s pressure on Lebanon as well as other countries to continuously suspend expulsion to Syria, where returnees are threatened with torture, sexual abuse and worse.

Lebanon will hardly see any changes in internal struggles in the close future. Western countries have been halting aid for as long as there hasn’t been a control on corruption, so there are few possibilites for people on the move to get support.

AFGHANISTAN

Human Rights Watch urging Japanese government to protect Afghans with ties with Japan

Japan’s government should urgently protect Afghan civilians who are at risk under the new Taliban authorities, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

The Japanese government, which has not even offered help to all Afghans with past ties to Japan, should urgently scale up its protection and support to Afghans at risk. Japan should also offer to relocate and resettle at-risk Afghans in numbers commensurate with the crisis. Japan’s long involvement in Afghanistan and its leadership role as a donor underscores its responsibility to help Afghans now fleeing for their lives. — Kanae Doi, Japan director at Human Rights Watch

So far, the Japanese government has not announced any plans to facilitate family reunion or pledges for resettlement, HRW reports.

At the same time, there have been many testimonies on incidents of violence towards protesters and journalists. The most recent media covered incident concerned two reporters present at the Panjshir protests, who were being arrested and beaten until losing consciousness.

In just two days this week, the Taliban detained and later released at least 14 journalists covering protests in Kabul, with at least six of these journalists subject to violence during their arrests or detention, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported.

UNHCR has reportedly urged the Taliban to “put aside the use of force against protesters and journalists who are covering protests in Afghanistan in recent weeks”. The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warn over a sharp increase in violence against journalists and reporters in Afghanistan and says in the past two days dozens of violence cases against journalists have been recorded by RSF. Find a recorded discussion (in Persian) of Afghan News channel TOLO News on the subject here. Also one of TOLO News journalists had briefly been detained, had been prevented from filming earlier this week and had his camera confiscated.

LIBYA

Drone strike hits illegal boat-building factory

An illegal factory in Sabratha dedicated for building boats to transfer migrants has been targeted by two drone strikes. According to local sources the drones which targeted the industrial district did not result in any casualties, but a huge explosion was heard throughout the city. No party has yet claimed responsibility for these two strikes, which occurred on Sunday, Libya Observer reported.

SEA

Geo Barents Rescue Vessel back to sea