In 2025, Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR) continued to work toward achieving its mission of monitoring and reporting on human rights violations against Syrian refugees in Lebanon and continued to uphold refugees’ rights by advocating for accountability. ACHR sought to bolster advocacy efforts for Syrian refugees and raise awareness about refugee issues and sought to draw attention to policy issues that undermine refugee rights and promote policy in line with humanitarian principles and international law.
In 2025, ACHR documented 11,708 violations against Syrian refugees in Lebanon, a 38% increase over the 8,471 violations documented in 2024. The rise was driven principally by a sharp escalation in documented discrimination cases (from 201 in 2024 to 1,575 in 2025), linked to political fallout following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 and the Hezbollah–Israel war. Forced eviction (3,951 cases) and Illtreatment (3072 cases) remained the largest categories of violations. Notably, arbitrary pushbacks dropped sharply (from 978 cases in 2024 to just 22 in 2025) as irregular sea migration from Lebanon eased following the change of government in Syria.
During 2025, ACHR conducted rigorous data collection, documentation, analysis, and reporting on various human rights issues faced by Syrian refugees in Lebanon. ACHR documented a surge in the number of overall violations of the rights of Syrian refugees, and assessed new challenges and risks faced by the Syrian refugees in Lebanon following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. For instance, ACHR monitored the impact of Lebanese government policies and practices that led to a legal and protection environment that undermines refugees’ ability to live in Lebanon in a manner that is safe and dignified along with increasing discriminatory political rhetoric and practices aimed at pressuring refugees to return to Syria involuntarily. Further, ACHR monitored ongoing UNHCR return programming and sought to better understand refugees’ perceptions of return and their perspectives of safety once back in Syria.
ACHR further examined increasing and expanding security measures, such as the increase in security raids, arbitrary arrests, and forced deportations of Syrian refugees by the Lebanese authorities and an array of security forces. These policies led to a rise in physical violence, forced evictions from homes and camps. Further, ACHR continued to report on how cuts to humanitarian aid impacted and exacerbated the challenging living situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon with cuts to key sectors like health and education. Following the ceasefire at the end of 2024, ACHR continued to assess the impacts of the ceasefire in Lebanon and the aftermath of the fall of the Assad regime on the lives of refugees in Lebanon.
ACHR advocates for the rights of Syrian refugees in Lebanon by participating in events, conferences, and meetings with organizations and decision-makers at local and international levels. Through its social media accounts and website, ACHR provides a voice for Syrian refugees who have suffered violations of their rights and provides a source of information for the public on the latest developments related to their living conditions and the challenges they face. Overall, ACHR’s efforts aimed to uphold the dignity and rights of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and promote more humane treatment for this vulnerable population.
Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization run by lawyers, human rights experts, and journalism professionals. As pro-democracy activists in Syria, they were forced to seek asylum in Lebanon. ACHR works to strengthen the rule of law and ensure accountability for all. The organization is non-religious, non-sectarian, and politically independent and advocates for the collective and individual rights of refugees. ACHR also works for the voluntary, dignified, and safe repatriation of refugees to their countries of origin when international protection principles are adopted and key conditions are met. It has been officially registered in France since 2020, under W931023779. It holds nonprofit equivalency validation through TechSoup in the United States and Canada..
To promote legal accountability, international law, comprehensive refugee policies, and awareness of human rights violations in Lebanon, ACHR has published over 129 reports, campaigns, research papers, press releases, policy documents, and advocacy letters since 2019. The organization has also led or co-led numerous advocacy campaigns. In addition, ACHR maintains a dedicated database of human rights violations against Syrian refugees in Lebanon, which meticulously records violations using a robust methodology. The database is a source for publications and an important resource for the work of ACHR partners.
Key Thematic Areas of the work of the Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR)
The Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR) focuses on four key thematic areas in its projects, activities, and mandate. 1- Field Information gathering for monitoring and investigating human rights violations against Syrian refugees, 2- Policy and Advocacy, to raise awareness and influence policy to uphold the rights of refugees, 3-Research to identify causes of human rights violations, and 4-Accountability to hold perpetrators accountable and seek justice for victims through legal mechanisms and public awareness.
To read the 2025 annual impact report