In a recent operation, the Lebanese Army successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle 124 Syrian migrants across the sea from Lebanese shores. The operation, carried out by a naval patrol, intercepted the illegal migration attempt off the coast of Tripoli, northern Lebanon.
Among the migrants rescued were eight women and 24 children, all of Syrian nationality, who were found aboard a small boat in the region. The Lebanese Army issued a statement confirming its commitment to taking necessary measures to combat illegal migration.
Lebanon, facing one of the world’s worst economic crises according to the World Bank, has become a departure point for illegal migrants. Lebanese citizens, alongside Syrian and Palestinian refugees, are risking their lives to reach Europe by sea.
Beirut estimates that it currently hosts around two million Syrians, with over 800,000 of them registered with the United Nations Refugee Agency. Lebanon tops the list globally for the highest number of refugees relative to its population.
In late September 2022, a tragic incident occurred off the coast of Syria when a boat, departing from Lebanon, carrying dozens of illegal migrants, sank, resulting in the loss of 100 lives. This incident stands as one of the deadliest drownings in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In December 2022, two migrants lost their lives, while approximately 200 others were rescued when their boat capsized off the northern Lebanese coast.
