Lebanon: Hezbollah recruitment practices; including whether forced recruitment occurs, in particular in southern Lebanon and in the Beqaa valley; whether there are consequences for refusing to be recruited (2015-February 2019)
1. Recruitment Practices
For information on Hezbollah's recruitment practices, see Response to Information Request LBN106189 of November 2018. Information on forced recruitment by Hezbollah could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. However, the following information may be useful.
According to a report by the UN Secretary General on children and armed conflict, in 2017, three cases of alleged recruitment by Hezbollah of children from Lebanon into Syria were reported (UN 16 May 2018, para. 1, 99). The US Department of Labor also indicates, in its 2017 global report on child labor, that according to Arabic-language news channel Al Janoubia, Hezbollah has recruited children to fight in Syria (US 20 Sept. 2018, 2). Similarly, Al Arabiya, the English-language digital service of Al Arabiya news channel (Al Arabiya n.d.), reports that Hezbollah "militias" have been recruiting children to combat in Syria, and that a 16-year-old boy was found among five Hezbollah members killed during a battle in Syria (Al Arabiya 10 July 2017). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
2. 2018 Elections
Information indicating whether the 2018 elections have had any effects on Hezbollah's recruitment practices could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. For information on Hezbollah's political participation and representation in the 2018 election, see Response to Information Request LBN106189 of November 2018.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Al Arabiya. 10 July 2017. "16-Year-Old Boy Among Five Hezbollah Fighters Killed in Syria." [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019]
Al Arabiya. N.d. "About." [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019]
United Nations (UN). 16 May 2018. General Assembly, Security Council. Children and Armed Conflict. Report of the Secretary-General. (A/72/865–S/2018/465) [Accessed 20 Feb. 2019]
United States (US). 20 September 2018. Department of Labor. "Lebanon." 2017 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor. [Accessed 20 Feb. 2019]
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: assistant professor in political science whose expertise include Lebanon; Carnegie Middle East Center; emeritus professor whose research interets include the Middle East and Lebanon; fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington; journalist in Lebanon; Lebanese Center for Human Rights; Lebanon Support; lecturer whose research interests include politics and international relations in the Arab Middle East; two fellows at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; ecoi.net; EU – European Asylum Support Office; Finland – Finnish Immigration Service; France – Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides; Freedom House; Georgia – Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accomodation and Refugees; Human Rights Watch; US – Congressional Research Service, Department of State.