It seems that the hellish era in Lebanon is determined not to end, and there are Lebanese residents in the homeland. In light of this regime and its crises, and amidst the hardships faced by citizens, coupled with the inability to legally obtain a passport to escape this hell, the Lebanese in impoverished regions like Akkar and Tripoli have no choice but to migrate via the sea. Almost every day, people wake up to new news related to this migration, and the latest is that more than 60 migrants on an illegal journey are currently stranded in Malta, between Greece and Italy. They had departed Lebanese shores by sea four days ago on a boat often referred to as a "death boat," and they were unable to reach their intended destination, which was Italy.
The journey of this boat followed directly after another boat's failure to depart due to a malfunction and military pursuit. News about this boat is being relayed through communications between stranded youth at sea and their families, indicating they are stuck in Maltese waters with women and children and that their food and baby formula supplies are running low. The Italian authorities have not attempted to rescue them despite their pleas.
In a call to "Nidaa al-Watan," the mother of one of the young men from the town of Bhanin in Akkar expressed her distress and sorrow, noting that "the poor living conditions were the main driver behind her son's departure in this manner." She added, "During our conversations, he was very afraid for himself and for those with him and told me, 'Mom, try to do something to save me.'" The mother appealed to Major General Abbas Ibrahim, the Director General of General Security, and all relevant officials to communicate with the Italian government and work towards the return of her son and those stranded with him.
So far, the official Lebanese response to this issue has been inadequate, while fears continue to loom over the families in Bhanin regarding the fate of their children whose boat has malfunctioned, exacerbating their conditions, amidst talk of the driver fleeing and leaving them stranded in the waters, while passing vessels refuse to provide assistance.
It is worth noting that illegal migration journeys from the northern regions and Akkar have not subsided, and informed sources tell "Nidaa al-Watan" that these journeys are now taking place almost daily, with people only becoming aware of the trips when certain problems occur. However, there are many journeys that go and arrive without issues, and no one knows about them.
