Nineteen Syrians were arrested in Tripoli on Feb. 15, 2022. (Credit: Lebanese Army)
BEIRUT – The Lebanese Army announced that it had arrested and detained 19 Syrian individuals off the Port of Tripoli in North Lebanon while they attempted an illegal crossing of the Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday.
Here’s what we know:
• The detainees were handed over to the competent authorities and an investigation was opened.
• In recent months, departures of this kind by Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese individuals have multiplied. At the end of November 2021, Lebanese security forces said they had intercepted more than 90 migrants in the waters off Lebanon.
• An increasing number of Lebanese citizens have tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea, attempting to escape the economic collapse currently gripping the country.