Lebanon PM warns Syrian refugees pose ‘danger to the nation’

Over a thousand Syrian refugees each week fleeing to Lebanon from their country’s worsening economic and financial conditions “could create harsh imbalances” in the small Mediterranean nation, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned Thursday. (AP/File)
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Updated 07 September 2023
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Lebanon PM warns Syrian refugees pose ‘danger to the nation’

  • 2,300 Syrians stopped from crossing border illegally in 10 days, army claims
  • The Lebanese leader said that army and police units are stepping up efforts to halt what he described as “unjustified displacement convoys”

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.”


Netanyahu appoints adviser with Trump ties to lead ceasefire talks

Updated 8 sec ago
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Netanyahu appoints adviser with Trump ties to lead ceasefire talks

  • The US-born Ron Dermer is a Cabinet minister who’s widely seen as Netanyahu’s closest adviser.
  • Dermer currently serves as Israel’s strategic affairs minister
An Israeli official said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed a close confidant to lead negotiations for the second stage of the ceasefire with Hamas.
The US-born Ron Dermer is a Cabinet minister who’s widely seen as Netanyahu’s closest adviser. He previously served as Israel’s ambassador to the US and is a former Republican activist with strong ties to the Trump White House.
Israel and Hamas have yet to negotiate a second and more difficult phase of the ceasefire, and the first ends in early March. Palestinians and Arab countries have universally rejected US President Donald Trump’s proposal to remove the Palestinian population from Gaza and take over the territory.
Since the war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023, more than 50,000 people have died in Gaza and Lebanon and nearly 70 percent of the buildings in Gaza have been devastated, according to health ministries in Gaza and Lebanon. Around 1,200 people were killed in Israel during the Oct. 7 attack.
Here’s the latest:
Netanyahu appoints close adviser with Trump ties to lead ceasefire negotiations
An Israeli official said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed a close confidant to lead negotiations for the second stage of the ceasefire with Hamas.
The official says that Cabinet Minister Ron Dermer will head the Israeli team. Previous talks have been led by the heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet security agencies.
Talks have not yet started on the second stage, which is meant to include an end to the war, return of all hostages and Israeli pullout from Gaza.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the appointment has not been officially announced.
The US-born Dermer is widely seen as Netanyahu’s closest adviser. He previously served as Israel’s ambassador to the US and is a former Republican activist with strong ties to the Trump White House.
Dermer currently serves as Israel’s strategic affairs minister, where he has been a key player in relations with the US as well as Gulf Arab countries.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians flee West Bank refugee camps

Updated 19 February 2025
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Tens of thousands of Palestinians flee West Bank refugee camps

  • The camps, built for descendants of Palestinian refugees who fled or were driven from their homes in the 1948 war around the creation of the state of Israel, have long been major centers for armed militant groups

JERUSALEM: Tens of thousands of Palestinians living in refugee camps in the occupied West Bank have left their homes as a weeks-long Israeli offensive has demolished houses and torn up vital infrastructure in the heavily built up townships, Palestinian authorities said.
Israeli forces began their operation in the refugee camp in the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Jan. 21, deploying hundreds of troops and bulldozers that demolished houses and dug up roads, driving almost all of the camp’s residents out.
“We don’t know what’s going on in the camp but there is continuous demolition and roads being dug up,” said Mohammed Al-Sabbagh, head of the Jenin camp services committee.

An Israeli army excavator demolishes a residential building in the Tulkarem camp for Palestinian refugees during an ongoing Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank on February 18, 2025. (AFP)

The operation, which Israel says is aimed at thwarting Iranian-backed militant groups in the West Bank, has since been extended to other camps, notably the Tulkarm refugee camp and the nearby Nur Shams camp, both of which have also been devastated. The camps, built for descendants of Palestinian refugees who fled or were driven from their homes in the 1948 war around the creation of the state of Israel, have long been major centers for armed militant groups. They have been raided repeatedly by the Israeli military but the current operation, which began as a ceasefire was agreed in Gaza, has been on an unusually large scale. According to figures from the Palestinian Authority, around 17,000 people have now left Jenin refugee camp, leaving the site almost completely deserted, while in Nur Shams 6,000 people, or about two thirds of the total, have left, with another 10,000 leaving from Tulkarm camp.
“The ones who are left are trapped,” said Nihad Al-Shawish, head of the Nur Shams camp services committee. “The Civil Defense, the Red Crescent and the Palestinian security forces brought them some food yesterday but the army is still bulldozing and destroying the camp.” The Israeli raids have demolished dozens of houses and torn up large stretches of roadway as well as cutting off water and power, but the military has denied forcing residents to leave their homes.
“People obviously have the possibility to move or go where they want, if they will. But if they don’t, they’re allowed to stay,” Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told reporters.
The operation began as Israel moved to banish the main UN Palestinian relief organization UNRWA from its headquarters in East Jerusalem and cut it off from any contact with Israeli officials.
The ban, which took effect at the end of January, has hit UNRWA’s work in the West Bank and Gaza, where it provides aid for millions of Palestinians in the refugee camps.
Israel has accused UNRWA of cooperating with Hamas and said some UNRWA workers even took part in the Hamas-led attack on communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 that set off the 15-month war in Gaza.

 


Tens of thousands of Palestinians flee West Bank refugee camps

Updated 18 February 2025
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Tens of thousands of Palestinians flee West Bank refugee camps

  • The camps, built for descendants of Palestinian refugees who fled or were driven from their homes in the 1948 war around the creation of the state of Israel, have long been major centers for armed militant groups

JERUSALEM: Tens of thousands of Palestinians living in refugee camps in the occupied West Bank have left their homes as a weeks-long Israeli offensive has demolished houses and torn up vital infrastructure in the heavily built up townships, Palestinian authorities said.
Israeli forces began their operation in the refugee camp in the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Jan. 21, deploying hundreds of troops and bulldozers that demolished houses and dug up roads, driving almost all of the camp’s residents out.
“We don’t know what’s going on in the camp but there is continuous demolition and roads being dug up,” said Mohammed Al-Sabbagh, head of the Jenin camp services committee.

An Israeli army excavator demolishes a residential building in the Tulkarem camp for Palestinian refugees during an ongoing Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank on February 18, 2025. (AFP)

The operation, which Israel says is aimed at thwarting Iranian-backed militant groups in the West Bank, has since been extended to other camps, notably the Tulkarm refugee camp and the nearby Nur Shams camp, both of which have also been devastated. The camps, built for descendants of Palestinian refugees who fled or were driven from their homes in the 1948 war around the creation of the state of Israel, have long been major centers for armed militant groups. They have been raided repeatedly by the Israeli military but the current operation, which began as a ceasefire was agreed in Gaza, has been on an unusually large scale. According to figures from the Palestinian Authority, around 17,000 people have now left Jenin refugee camp, leaving the site almost completely deserted, while in Nur Shams 6,000 people, or about two thirds of the total, have left, with another 10,000 leaving from Tulkarm camp.
“The ones who are left are trapped,” said Nihad Al-Shawish, head of the Nur Shams camp services committee. “The Civil Defense, the Red Crescent and the Palestinian security forces brought them some food yesterday but the army is still bulldozing and destroying the camp.” The Israeli raids have demolished dozens of houses and torn up large stretches of roadway as well as cutting off water and power, but the military has denied forcing residents to leave their homes.
“People obviously have the possibility to move or go where they want, if they will. But if they don’t, they’re allowed to stay,” Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told reporters.
The operation began as Israel moved to banish the main UN Palestinian relief organization UNRWA from its headquarters in East Jerusalem and cut it off from any contact with Israeli officials.
The ban, which took effect at the end of January, has hit UNRWA’s work in the West Bank and Gaza, where it provides aid for millions of Palestinians in the refugee camps.
Israel has accused UNRWA of cooperating with Hamas and said some UNRWA workers even took part in the Hamas-led attack on communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 that set off the 15-month war in Gaza.

 


More than one million Syrians return to their homes: UN

People walk past shops in Homs on February 10, 2025. (AFP)
Updated 19 February 2025
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More than one million Syrians return to their homes: UN

  • “Since the fall of the regime in Syria we estimate that 280,000 Syrian refugees and more than 800,000 people displaced inside the country have returned to their homes,” Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees

GENEVA: More than one million people have returned to their homes in Syria after the overthrow of Bashar Assad, including 280,000 refugees who came back from abroad, the UN said on Tuesday.
Assad was toppled in December in a rebel offensive, putting an end to his family’s decades-long grip on power in the Middle Eastern country and bookmarking a civil war that broke out in 2011, with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.
Syria’s war has killed more than half a million people and displaced millions from their homes.
The Islamist-led rebels whose offensive ousted Assad have sought to assure the international community that they have broken with their past and will respect the rights of minorities.
“Since the fall of the regime in Syria we estimate that 280,000 Syrian refugees and more than 800,000 people displaced inside the country have returned to their homes,” Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, wrote on the X social media platform.
“Early recovery efforts must be bolder and faster, though, otherwise people will leave again: this is now urgent!” he said.
At a meeting in Paris in mid-February, some 20 countries, including Arab nations, Turkiye, Britain, France, Germany, Canada and Japan agreed at the close of a conference in Paris to “work together to ensure the success of the transition in a process led by Syria.”
The meeting’s final statement also pledged support for Syria’s new authorities in the fight against “all forms of terrorism and extremism.”
 

 


Israeli military says it struck weapons belonging to former Syrian administration in southern Syria

Updated 19 February 2025
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Israeli military says it struck weapons belonging to former Syrian administration in southern Syria

CAIRO: The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it struck weapons which it said belonged to the former Syrian administration in southern Syria.