BEIRUT: Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has voiced concerns about a “new wave” of Syrian refugees entering the country “via illegal paths.”
Mikati told a Cabinet meeting on Thursday that the scale of the influx poses “a serious threat to social cohesion and our nation’s independence.”
The Lebanese leader said that army and police units are stepping up efforts to halt what he described as “unjustified displacement convoys.”
Mikati’s warning follows a surge in people smuggling from Syria into Lebanon in recent weeks.
According to Lebanon’s army command, at least 2,300 people were stopped while attempting to illegally cross the border in just 10 days leading up to Sept. 6.
The Cabinet scheduled a session next week with Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun and security service chiefs to address the issue.
Lebanon has been hosting over 1.5 million Syrian refugees for 11 years, according to Lebanese government estimates.
Hostility toward the refugees has intensified in recent months as Lebanon’s economic crisis deepens.
Lebanese municipalities have imposed night curfews on Syrian refugees and workers, restricted their movements, and demanded they register the names of family members with local authorities.
They are also required to present identification papers, rental contracts if available, and residency records with General Security, or risk deportation.
International organizations have condemned the actions as “discriminatory and retaliatory practices targeting refugees.”
With people trafficking networks proliferating, many believe those stopped by the Lebanese army constitute only a fraction of the number crossing the border each day.
Jumaa, a 23-year-old Syrian man who declined to give his real name, told Arab News that he entered Lebanon illegally earlier this summer.
“People smuggling is not limited to young men. It also involves women, children and entire families,” he said.
Syrians are “almost dying from hunger after the insane rise in prices” in the country, Jumaa said.
He said that a kilogram of sugar now costs 17,000 Syrian pounds, almost a 10th of the average monthly salary.
Syrian workers in Lebanon, meanwhile, complain about reduced wages amid the collapse of the Lebanese currency.
In most cases, they earn no more than $120 per month, barely enough to cover daily expenses.
Jumaa said that organized crime networks in Lebanon and Syria oversee the smuggling operations.
Each smuggler in Syria has a designated area of operation and can travel through checkpoints for a fee.
“On reaching the border, the crossing is done on foot — no vehicles are involved, only walking through empty land.
“The smuggler outlines the path and describes the contact on the other side of the border.”
He said the Lebanese contact organizes the illegal arrivals based on their destinations, such as the Bekaa, Beirut or Tripoli.
“People then travel by van or car to their respective destinations.”
Jumaa said the cost of illegal entry varies, ranging from $50 for a basic border crossing to as much as $600 for those from distant areas within Syria, such as Idlib.
“Illegal entry into Lebanon has never stopped, but it has escalated in recent months due to the unprecedented economic collapse in Syria,” he said.
“People share unbelievable stories about the severe hunger afflicting the poor.”
He claimed that Lebanon’s security services are rarely seen at the border and crossings hold little risk.
“The real danger and bad luck lie in the possibility of being apprehended once inside Lebanon. In such circumstances, individuals are deported and risk being arrested by Syrian security services.
“Reasons for their arrest may include being wanted for military service, suspected affiliation with revolutionary groups, or leaving an area where a settlement had been reached with the regime, which required youth to remain within their designated region and prohibited relocation.”
Jumaa also referred to “intermediaries in Lebanon who can facilitate the acquisition of legal documents for Syrians through the relevant authorities in exchange for a fee.”
In 2017, a Syrian-Lebanese security meeting took place at the Jdeidat Yabous border point to combat human smuggling.
Army, customs, immigration, passport control and security forces were assigned to tackle the issue.
Joint patrols were set up between the Masnaa and Jdeidat Yabous areas. However, security concerns remained unresolved.
A Syrian refugee in Lebanon who has kept in contact with people inside Syria said: “Efforts to escape by boat from the Lebanese coast have diminished in favor of legal departure through Lebanon to Turkiye by air. From there, smuggling operations by sea to Greece are on the rise.”
He added: “One of my relatives arrived in Germany from Greece a week ago after completing a journey on foot through the forests.”