Articles and views shared in the Weekly News Report do not necessarily represent ARM’s views. Information in these articles has not been fact-checked by ARM and may contain some errors. ARM is simply compiling all news relevant to migrant communities to inform our advocacy efforts and to facilitate the work of organizations who cater to migrant communities.

General Security Publishes List of  Arrests, Entry/Exit, Work Visas disaggregated by nationality [here]

The General Security (GS) published a breakdown of arrests, entry/exit, and work visas between mid October and mid November in the new issue of the GS magazine. Highlights included the following:

• 150 migrants and refugees were arrested and interrogated;

• 151 migrants and refugees were released from detention after interrogation;

• Around 2,478 work visas were granted to migrant workers mostly to Ethiopians, Sierra Leoneans and Kenyans;

• 53,336 foreigners and migrants entered Lebanon compared to 65,266 who left.

Racist Report Associates Syrian Refugees with Crimes [here]

Nidaa Al Watan newspaper published a new racist article with misinformation and fake data on Syrian refugees, capitalizing on the unfortunate murder of a Lebanese citizen in the southern town of Kfarroummman by a Syrian individual. While the unfortunate death is indeed a horrific incident, it is crucial to be wary of misinformation and disinformation published for the aim of demonizing and scapegoating Syrians, and reinforcing the racist sentiments that are already dominant in many Lebanese media outlets.

Fraudulent Ads Target Migrants and Refugees for Emigration [here] and [source is ARM]

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for the Middle East and North Africa Region (OHCHR ROMENA) informed organizations of fraudulent messages being spread online and through WhatsApp by certain agencies claiming the opening of a new immigration center by the UN in Tripoli in the North. 

Additionally, ARM knows of several migrants who applied for emigration through such agencies and were given fake appointments at the French embassy.

Bangladeshi Embassy Warns of Fraudulent Services for Passport Renewal [here]

The Bangladeshi embassy warned nationals about the fraudulent services offered to renew passports on their behalf in exchange for a certain fee and clarified renewal is only processed through the embassy.

Report on Syrians Stuck at Belarus-Poland Border from Lebanon [here]

An article on L’Orient Today reported the conditions of Syrian refugees stuck at the borders between Belarus and Poland after leaving Lebanon. Many of the tourist visas that they were granted to enter Belarus have already expired, and seeing as they are banned from re-entering Lebanon they are now at risk of deportation back to Syria if they are denied entry to the European Union.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) urged Lebanese authorities to reconsider the re-entry ban to prevent deportation.