NGOs Furious over France Allegedly Trying to Deport Syrians Back Home

Activists of Amnesty International during the protest. Protesters protested against the &#
Alain Pitton/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Chris Tomlinson

Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have alleged French authorities tried to deport two Syrian nationals back to Syria, claiming the attempts are illegal under international law.

The NGOs Amnesty International, La Cimade and Revivre have denounced the authorities of two French regions which have tried to make contact with Syrian authorities in order to deport two Syrian nationals from France.

The prefecture of Haute-Garonne and the prefecture of police of Paris both initiated contact with the Syrian embassy in France last October, despite the fact official relations between France and Syria have been broken since March of 2012, Le Monde reports.

“Our organisations call on the government to clarify its position by reminding prefectures of France’s international obligations, which absolutely prohibit the return of a person to a country where they risk death, torture and other ill-treatment,” the NGOs said in a joint statement.

The NGOs also allege that the two Syrians were only not deported from France because the Syrian embassy refused to grant the two a laissez-passer — a temporary travel document that would allow them into the country.

The French Ministry of the Interior denied the allegations made by the NGOs regarding deportations to Syria, but added that it “is sometimes necessary to solicit, via consular contacts, the Syrian authorities to verify the Syrian nationality of an illegal alien claiming it.”

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin stated last year that while he wants to increase the number of deportations of illegals, he was open to a tolerated status for migrants from Syria and Afghanistan, as France has no formal diplomatic ties with Syrian president Bashar Assad or the Taliban.

Darmanin has promised to introduce new immigration reforms this year after stating last July that he wanted to deport all immigrants convicted of serious crimes no matter their status in France.

The Interior Minister has suggested several new measures to crack down on those with existing deportation orders, including putting them on the French criminal wanted list and cutting off their access to social benefits.

France’s actual deportation record has been lacklustre under President Emmanuel Macron, however, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic when less than ten per cent of deportations were actually carried out.

The French public has also expressed a distinct lack of confidence in the Macron government on the issue of immigration, with a poll released in November showing 77 per cent of the French public believed Macron was failing to control immigration, including a majority of Macron’s own supporters.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com.

 

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