A new wave of Syrian displaced people is flowing into Lebanese territory, mostly originating from northern Syria following tensions between Syrians and the Turkish army. The Lebanese army has apprehended 90 individuals on Sunday, while the Lebanese General Security has repatriated 60 of them back to Syria via the Al-Qaa border crossing in northeastern Lebanon.
An security source in the Beqaa region of eastern Lebanon reported that the Ninth Brigade of the Lebanese army, supported by the Beqaa Intelligence Directorate, stopped around 90 newly displaced Syrians who entered Lebanese territory through smuggling routes. The source noted in a statement to "Asharq Al-Awsat" that several Syrian families were detained through mobile checkpoints set up on smuggling routes in northern Beqaa in the towns of Labweh, Ras Baalbek, and Harbata.
Investigations revealed that most of the Syrians who entered Lebanon were fleeing from the dire situation in the provinces of Raqqa, Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, and Qamishli. Some fled from conflict areas due to deteriorating security conditions along the Turkish-Syrian border, zones controlled by the Syrian opposition, where Turkish forces are present. The security source mentioned that smugglers were handed over to the military police along with their seized vehicles used during the smuggling operations, while General Security took charge of repatriating some individuals back to Syria on the same day, primarily young men.
These individuals entered Lebanon through smuggling gangs that charged nearly 300 US dollars per person, using illegal crossings from northern Hermel (northeastern Lebanon) and the area around Al-Qaa, which borders Syria. Sources indicated that these smuggling networks are run by Lebanese and Syrian traffickers who maintain control over smuggling routes, executing such operations for financial compensation. The smugglers use dirt roads between the two countries.
As Lebanese military and security forces continue stringent measures in the border region with Syria, concerns have emerged that the numbers of those seeking to cross into Lebanon in the latest wave could be significant, noting that such numbers as 90 individuals in a single day are considerable. The security agencies estimate that several displaced individuals managed to enter in recent months and are now hiding with relatives. Consequently, security agencies are coordinating to monitor arrivals and enforce legal measures.
In line with the actions taken by Lebanese authorities following governmental directives, security sources confirmed to "Asharq Al-Awsat" that the Lebanese General Security had repatriated 60 recently apprehended Syrian displaced individuals through the Al-Qaa border crossing, all of whom are young men between the ages of 20 and 30, as part of an initial group received from the Lebanese army.
An security source reiterated to "Asharq Al-Awsat" that the influx of such a large number of displaced people results from recent security developments in northern Syrian regions, alongside Turkey's closure of its borders, highlighting that most of the individuals are young men. Concurrently, the Lebanese General Security is preparing to repatriate another group of displaced Syrians on the eleventh of this month from the Wadi Hamid crossing towards the Al-Zumarani crossing in the western Qalamoun.
