Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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317. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland as a member of the EU and the UN Security Council will encourage the UNHCR and the international community to do more to protect Syrian refugees based in Lebanon and to prevent their forced return to Syria which can be considered a violation of international humanitarian law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5327/21]

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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319. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a condition can be put in place on any allocation of Irish and EU aid to Lebanon to the effect that Lebanon must not force Syrian refugees to return to their homeland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5329/21]

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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330. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to a recent letter signed by organisations (details supplied) calling on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the international community to protect Syrian refugees from refoulement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5673/21]

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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331. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions he is taking to insist that international organisations and the international community prevent Syrian refugees from being forcibly returned to Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5674/21]

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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333. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions he is taking to ensure Syrian refugees in Lebanon are not being forced to return to Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5678/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 317, 319, 330, 331 and 333 together.

The EU and its Member States recognise and are bound to the principle of non-refoulement, as enshrined in the 1951 Refugee Convention and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Both Ireland and the EU regularly make that position clear and remind other States of their obligations.

At the most recent meeting of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Executive Committee in October 2020, the EU recognised the importance of safeguarding the principle of non-refoulement. In my address at the same meeting, I reiterated that defending the norms and commitments enshrined in the 1951 Geneva Conventions remains of paramount importance.

At the Foreign Affairs Council in December 2020, the EU commended the efforts made by Lebanon and the Lebanese people to host over 1 million Syrian refugees until such a time when conditions for their safe, voluntary and dignified return in line with the applicable norms of international law and the principle of non-refoulement will be met. These efforts have been despite Lebanon facing its own challenges including a severe economic crisis, the catastrophic Beirut Port explosion and devastating impacts of COVID-19. 

I take note of the recent letter from concerned organisations about the situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and commend the vital work of civil society organisations in safeguarding the wellbeing and rights of refugees in Lebanon. Ireland has been consistently clear that refugee returns must be voluntary and safe. Addressing the United Nations Security Council on 20 January, Ireland’s Permanent Representative to the UN stated that ‘millions of Syrians remain as refugees, and the conditions necessary for them to return, in a safe, voluntary and dignified manner are far from being achieved’.

Ireland's response to the Syria crisis has been its largest single response to any humanitarian emergency. Ireland has provided over €168 million in humanitarian assistance since the start of the crisis, including over €30 million in humanitarian assistance to Lebanon. Ireland also supports refugees at the global level through core funding to the IOM and UNHCR.