Urgent Call: IOM Should Open Shelters for Displaced and Stranded Migrant Workers in Lebanon
Call for Solidarity and Action Against Recent Divisive Violence in Lebanon, and Elsewhere
06/07/2022
General Advocacy.
We have been following these past few weeks as the Lebanese ruling elite took new dangerous and divisive routes, paving the road for the birthing of a more hostile state to refugees, migrants, queer communities, women and the working class from all backgrounds.
In the span of weeks, religious figures and government officials have made continuous calls for the deportation of Syrian refugees from Lebanon, under the false premise that their presence on Lebanese soil is the reason for its current economic downfall. This was followed by reports of Syrians being arrested at checkpoints in Beirut and Saida on the account of their expired residencies or work permits, and officials promising to forcefully return 15,000 Syrians every month. All the while leaning on talks of a “safe” return to Syria, proved to be baseless and deadly, over and over again.
Just a few days later, the Minister of Interior sent a letter to the Directorate Generals of Internal and General Security to ban all activities and gatherings hosted by and for the LGBTIQ community. Thus fueling an intentional wave of hate, threats and discrimination by religious figures and mainstream media, and instigating more fear and isolation to an already extremely marginalized community.
While these incidents are not the first of their kind, they do come at a time when the regime imposes one of its harshest economic measures to date: dollarising telecom tariffs. A measure that has been dreaded by many, and one that is detrimental to marginalized groups whose only means of communication with the outside world and their safe connections, has just become 7 times less affordable overnight. For many communities in Lebanon, the lack of access to the internet today could be a matter of life or death. This comes as a last blow to the working class barely surviving a bread crisis, soaring transportation costs, and completely dysfunctional medical and energy sectors.
The international community is not absolved of responsibilities here either. These talks and practices have been recently used by European countries to justify racist and possibly life-threatening measures. The recent crackdown on Syrians in Lebanon followed the Brussels Conference for “Supporting the future of Syria and the region”. The Lebanese envoy to the conference demanded 30 Billion USD as “Compensation for the cost of hosting Syrians”. While it is not “hosting” Syrian refugees that Lebanon is requesting assistance for, rather deporting them, to prevent their otherwise imminent migration to Europe; a blackmail card usually used to access more funding.
For years, the state has been using the same tactics of misinformation, and fear mongering techniques to justify the repeated violations against marginalized groups. In order to shift the public discourse away from their consistent failure in managing the crisis, state officials have cited exaggerated and contradicting figures related to the “dollar drainage” to scapegoat Syrian refugees and Migrant Workers for the economic collapse. In a very similar vein, the ruling elite repeatedly uses moral panic as a means to get public support and regain popularity.
Several municipalities have cited “limiting theft” and “public harm” when enforcing curfews on refugees. Similarly, “customs and traditions” were cited when enforcing restrictive measures on queer individuals. These practices spread a general sense of public acceptance when it comes to the blatant racism and homophobia fueling a plenitude of hate crimes with no accountability.
The state keeps propagating the fear of the other, while turning a blind eye to crimes against women, and other perceived minorities including refugees and migrants. In the past weeks, many cases surfaced where serious and severe crimes went unpunished and unaddressed including rape, domestic violence, torture of refugees, and the continued abuse against migrant domestic workers.
And so, in the face of these relentless divide and conquer strategies, our belief in uniting and organizing with our allies everywhere becomes stronger, and all the more necessary to:
- Mobilize against the deportation of Syrians, and oppression of queer individuals whose lives and freedoms will be at an imminent risk as a result to the Lebanese government actions.
- Hold EU countries accountable for imposing similar measures on Syrian refugees on their soil, funding oppressive regimes, and exporting restrictive and racist migration policies in Lebanon and other refugee-hosting countries in the region, all while raising rainbow flags. All struggles for emancipation intersect. The politics of pinkwashing cannot continue.
- Partake in the feminist general strike on the 6th of July 2022, in solidarity with our sisters violated, raped and killed in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and everywhere beyond our physical spaces.
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At the Anti-Racism Movement (ARM), we are constantly working on a multitude of different activities and initiatives. Most of our activities are only possible with the help of dedicated and passionate volunteers who work in collaboration with our core team.
The Anti-Racism Movement (ARM) was launched in 2010 as a grassroots collective by young Lebanese feminist activists in collaboration with migrant workers and migrant domestic workers.
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