The government-led campaign to deport Syrian refugees in Lebanon has been marked by escalating hate speech, raids, arrests, and further restrictions on residency and employment conditions. A new proposal by the telecom ministry would further cut off access to mobile networks for undocumented Syrians residing in Lebanon.
In a press conference, Minister of Telecommunications Johnny Corm stated that the government must “sort” people, distinguishing between “legal residents” who are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or have permits and those who aren’t.
The ministry plans to purchase Optical Character Recognition (OCR) equipment to detect forged documents and cut off their owners’ phone lines. Corm explained in an interview with SMEX that using OCR devices to scan documents helps enforce the ministry’s laws and “verify forged Lebanese and non-Lebanese IDs.”
“We have the right to know the identities of our service seekers. Uncovering their identities is essential for the work of the security services. In case of a crime, criminals can be identified via communications data and mobile lines.”
Corm added that the tender to purchase these devices “will be launched according to legal procedures and will be subject to the Public Procurement Authority.” He requested coordinating with Alfa and Touch “so that the service costs are not paid twice.”
This, however, raises questions about the validity of the identification documents obtained by telecommunications companies over the past years. In an interview with SMEX, a telecommunications expert noted the possibility that this is a profit-making ploy by the ministry.
“There is no unified international legal document regarding the human right to communicate in its various forms,” explained lawyer Diala Shehadeh in an interview with SMEX.
“Refugees, like all users, have the right to use phones, internet communications, and social media freely, without restrictions or conditions, and without imposing censorship on freedom of opinion and expression through online social platforms,” Shehaded added.
“Refugees also have the right to communicate with their families and access emergency health services. Their freedom to purchase cellular SIM cards from private companies must not be restricted.”
“After 9/11, some countries imposed conditions such as presenting identity documents to obtain cell phone SIM cards, but none of these countries required residency or entry visas to obtain a cell phone number.”
Why Now?
In April 2023, a network for selling SIM cards illegally and without verification of the buyer’s identity was uncovered. This network used the identities of Lebanese residents without their knowledge, including employees of Touch, one of Lebanon’s two cellular telecommunications operators affiliated with the government.
“The control process is not easy, as line buyers do not come to Alfa and Touch to register the lines and show their identities,” said Corm, acknowledging the issue of forged documents within Alfa and Touch.
“Most phone numbers are sold in agent shops across all regions, and some numbers are registered under Lebanese names, making it difficult to count them.”
“We want to use OCR to verify information. It is used in banks and financial transfer companies, and it is necessary in the information sector, where every individual holding a phone number must have a known identity.”
As a result, the number of cell phone users is expected to shrink by about 400,000, reducing the revenues of the two cell phone companies in Lebanon.
“We work for our national interest following the recommendations of the House of Representatives and the executive authority of the Council of Ministers. This issue enjoys broad national consensus, and we do not consider its financial impact on the sector as a matter of loss or gain.”
Shehadeh confirmed to SMEX that “the minister’s decision is not based on any international or local laws.”
“He is neither the authority nor the executive body responsible for regulating the affairs of foreign residents, depriving any person of the right to communicate, whether they are a refugee or an economic migrant,” she added.
“This is a violation of human rights, and it increases the hardships experienced by refugees in Lebanon.”
According to the telecommunications expert, the Ministry of Telecommunications’ decision will only create a black market, enabling Lebanese individuals to buy cell lines and sell them to Syrians.
He also explained that “determining who is eligible to use phone services, stopping SIM cards, and imposing laws related to regulating the presence of Syrians is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Telecommunications.”
“Its responsibility is to suspend phone use for users in specific cases, such as failing to pay the bills, committing fraud, or concerns related to national security,” he added.
Ironically, in 2015, Touch launched the “Tawasol Line” for Syrians in Lebanon, which provided 40 call minutes and 30 SMS messages to Syria, in addition to 100 megabytes, minutes, and local messages.
Was Touch checking Syrians’ ID papers and residency status then?
A Blow to Rights and Privacy
Corm noted that the data will be stored in a ministry department that monitors the issue, and security experts will establish its structure.
He added that it will be treated exactly like the country’s cybersecurity and national security files, noting that the OCR proposal was issued by the security services as part of a comprehensive national plan.
Corm does not explain how this data will be preserved, especially since the OCR technology will affect all Lebanese subscribers, not just non-Lebanese residing illegally in Lebanon.
“These technologies can be used for surveillance, violating privacy, and analyzing written content,” said the expert, noting that “data and its privacy are not protected at all and are vulnerable to leakage, breach, and neglect, as has happened on many occasions.”
Corm’s enthusiasm brought him together with Maroun Al-Khawli, the general coordinator of the National Campaign to Repatriate Displaced Syrians, and Paul Zeitoun, President of the Trade Union of the Cellular and Telecommunications Sector in Lebanon.
After the meeting, Al-Khawli stated, “Conducting a comprehensive update of telephone data and withdrawing unlicensed lines is part of our efforts to combat crime and protect national security, and it will help monitor the movements of the displaced and their distribution across the governorates.”
While the use of Corm’s meeting with a campaign leader who does not hold any official status was unclear, the minister did not respond about reciprocity with the Syrian state, which does not force Lebanese residents to show their residency to obtain cell lines. He explained the Lebanese decision as “controlling the illegal presence of Syrians and others.”
