Alleged Abuses Against Returning Syrian Shia at Border Crossings and in Homs Countryside
News Report: Alleged Abuses Against Returning Syrian Shia at Border Crossings and in Homs Countryside
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Local sources cited by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that several Syrian citizens from the Shia community experienced violations while returning from Lebanon to Syria. The incidents reportedly involved temporary detention and prolonged questioning at border crossings.
According to the sources, dozens of returnees were stopped at the Masnaa Border Crossing and the Al‑Qusayr Border Crossing. Individuals were reportedly questioned for hours before being allowed to continue toward their home regions.
In a related incident, activists documented the detention of 15 young men from the towns of Nubl and Al‑Zahraa while they were returning from Lebanon. The group was reportedly stopped in Al‑Rastan in the countryside of Homs, where they were detained and questioned before later being released.
Some returnees told relatives that certain detainees were subjected to physical abuse and verbal insults, including sectarian and regional slurs allegedly made by personnel stationed at border crossings and checkpoints.
The Observatory indicated that these incidents were not isolated, reporting that similar cases occurred with dozens of returnees in recent days. The reports have raised concern among Syrian refugee families living in Lebanon.
As a result, many young Syrian Shia men in Lebanon are reportedly hesitant to return, choosing instead to send women and children back to Syria while they remain behind, fearing detention or humiliation. Observers warn that such practices could deepen social divisions and call for safe and dignified passage for all returning Syrians regardless of sectarian affiliation.
