Lebanon’s Army has announced the thwarting of an attempt by around 1,300 Syrians to cross the Lebanese-Syrian border illegally during the current week.
Via its official Facebook page, the army reported that it had successfully intercepted the illegal attempt at the Lebanese-Syrian border as part of its efforts to combat human trafficking and unauthorized border crossings.
Previously, the Lebanese Minister of Displaced Persons in the caretaker government, Issam Sharafeddine, described Lebanon as witnessing a “frightening” wave of Syrian displacement and called for serious measures to address this crisis.
In recent days, the Lebanese Army has managed to thwart an attempt by over 2,000 Syrians to cross the Lebanese-Syrian border during the current week.
Lebanon is home to approximately one and a half million Syrians, according to government figures, with most of them facing challenging humanitarian and living conditions, exacerbated by Lebanon’s economic crisis.
Lebanon has repeatedly called for a settlement of the refugee issue by encouraging the voluntary return of refugees to Syria, as it struggles to cope with this burden.
However, international organizations and the United Nations oppose the return of Syrian refugees from Lebanon to their home country, fearing security risks.