Lebanese army boat entering the Port of Tripoli after rescuing Syrian migrants whose boat broke down on Dec. 26, 2023 (Credit: Courtesy of Michel Hallak)
BEIRUT — The Lebanese Army says it rescued 20 people from a sinking boat off the coast of Tripoli on Monday. According to the army's statement, all 20 people were identified as Syrian and were attempting to leave Lebanon as migrants.
The statement, published on the army's website, claims that its personnel rescued "20 Syrians including women" and that the sinking boat was being used to "smuggle people illegally."
"The army assisted them with the help of the Lebanese Red Cross and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and moved the boat to the shore," the army added.
Migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees leaving Lebanon by boat are generally looking for a better life in Europe. The Lebanese army often thwarts smuggling operations by sea and arrests the smugglers and would-be migrants.
In January, a Syrian child died after staying for six days and nights without water or food on a small migrant boat that left Lebanon.
In mid-February, Cyprus said that Lebanon has refused the return of 116 Syrian migrants it had rescued off the EU island country's coast. Cyprus has had an agreement in place with Lebanon for years regarding the return of "irregular migrants." The fate of the over 100 people is yet unknown.
Near the end of February, a Cypriot court ordered two Lebanese men to be held in custody for six days on suspicion of human trafficking, according to an AP report.
The two men were identified as the captains of two boats that transported 146 Syrian refugees and one Lebanese migrant to the island.
According to the police, "the illegal immigrants confessed during questioning that they had left the city of Tripoli, in North Lebanon, on Thursday, Feb. 22, and that they had paid $2,500 each for a place on the boats."