Seeking aid abroad, Lebanon uproots Syrian refugees

BEIRUT (AP) — Donor nations are raising money for Syria’s neighbors to aid in hosting refugees of the country’s civil war.

But a leading international rights group and the U.N.’s refugee agency say Lebanese authorities are evicting refugees from towns and camps in the country on questionable legal grounds.

Three years ago, Ahmad Mohsin was forced to relocate his campsite in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley after soldiers raided the community of Syrian refugees where he lived and smashed their belongings.

The message was clear, he says — they were not wanted.

Though Syrian President Bashar Assad appears to have largely suppressed the revolt against him in many parts of neighboring Syria, the U.N. and rights groups say the country is still not safe for refugee return.