The Syrian girl whose parents were deported while she was at school

There was immoderate apprehension successful the car arsenic we drove crossed the mountains of Lebanon to scope the location of Raghad's aunt. Talking to a small miss who has conscionable been separated from her household and who doesn't cognize erstwhile she volition spot them again risked being a precise delicate task.

But arsenic soon arsenic we saw her, our anxiousness eased. Raghad was dressed successful agleam clothes, with her hairsbreadth tied up successful a ponytail. She gave america an effortless grin and her eyes lit up. Her calmness reassured us.

Raghad hardly spoke, truthful her uncle told america what had happened to her and her family. The young miss listened carefully. The lone clip she intervened was to close him erstwhile helium said she was 7 and she insisted she was eight. A light-hearted statement ensued. A amusive infinitesimal successful a grim story.

Raghad is present surviving successful a antithetic state to her parents and ne'er had a accidental to accidental goodbye.

On 19 April, conscionable 2 days earlier Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim solemnisation which marks the extremity of Ramadan, the Lebanese service raided Raghad's home.

Her parents' documents had expired. Without immoderate notice, they and Raghad's siblings were arrested and aboriginal deported to Syria.

"They told america to enactment our apparel connected and instrumentality immoderate precious belongings we have," her begetter told america implicit the phone.

It was astir 9 successful the greeting and Raghad was astatine school. Her begetter told america that helium had pleaded with the service to fto them hold for her instrumentality but they refused. Raghad came location from schoolhouse and knocked connected the door, but no-one opened. She burst into tears. "I was precise scared," she said.

A neighbour called her aunt, who lives a abbreviated region distant and rushed over. Raghad present lives with her. The deportation of Raghad's household was portion of an service crackdown connected Syrians surviving illegally successful the country.

Her household has been surviving successful Lebanon for 12 years since the commencement of the struggle successful Syria. Raghad was calved successful Lebanon, but her household is from Idlib successful north-western Syria - a cardinal determination successful the warfare and the past remaining stronghold of rebel forces.

"Imagine surviving successful a state for 12 years conscionable to beryllium kicked retired similar this. We can't instrumentality to our municipality due to the fact that of the concern there," says Raghad's father, whose individuality we are protecting owed to information concerns.

Raghad's household is staying with friends successful the Syrian capital, Damascus. I asked whether the household is trying to instrumentality Raghad to Syria, but they told maine they would alternatively instrumentality to Lebanon. It won't beryllium easy.

The Lebanese authorities, supported by what seems to beryllium a emergence successful anti-Syrian sentiment crossed the country, accidental they privation the refugees to instrumentality home.

Lebanon is hosting the largest fig of refugees successful the satellite erstwhile compared to the size of its population. Around 800,000 Syrians are registered with the United Nations, though the Lebanese authorities estimation the existent fig of refugees to beryllium much than treble that figure.

Several times successful the past decade, determination person been waves of anti-Syrian sentiment and a tightening of laws and regulations targeting them. But this time, the statement seems antithetic and determination appears to beryllium wide statement astir sending them home.

The Lebanese accidental they tin nary longer carnivore the brunt of looking aft truthful galore refugees erstwhile they are facing 1 of the astir terrible fiscal and economical crises successful caller history. They accidental Syrian refugees are making things worse by competing with them for scarce resources and services.

They besides blasted them for a emergence successful transgression and for threatening a delicate demographic balance. High commencement rates among Syrians are often highlighted successful opposition to the debased commencement rates among the Lebanese to boost this narrative.

The outcry has pushed immoderate section authorities to tighten regulations for Syrians.

The municipality of Bikfaya successful the mountains supra Beirut has imposed a curfew connected them. "No-one successful the satellite has welcomed the Syrians the mode we did," says Mayor Nicole Gemayel successful defence of the policy, which rights groups accidental is racist.

Supporters of the program besides constituent to the information concern successful Syria, wherever determination are presently nary large subject confrontations.

This ties successful with governmental overtures towards the authorities of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is nary longer considered a pariah by galore governments successful the region.

The Lebanese authorities accidental each these factors should bring an extremity to the exile crisis. They besides item what they picture arsenic "illegal movements" backmost and distant crossed the border.

They accidental this "traffic" undermines the statement Syrians marque that they fearfulness for their lives backmost home. Meanwhile, the service says it's lone pursuing the rules erstwhile deporting Syrians.

Some salient governmental voices successful Lebanon besides impeach overseas countries and planetary assistance organisations of trying to support Syrians successful Lebanon, saying the assistance the UN provides is an inducement to stay. The UN denies this and says immoderate instrumentality of refugees should beryllium voluntary due to the fact that conditions successful Syria are inactive not safe.

But for small Raghad, nary of this statement matters. She misses her parents and wants to beryllium backmost location with them.