Lebanese Internal Security Forces officers in front of the courthouse in Beirut. (Credit: Hassan Ammar/AFP File Photo)
BEIRUT – The Internal Security Forces (ISF) on Monday said it arrested two Lebanese men accused of forging official documents and selling fake residency permits to Syrian families.
In a statement, the ISF said that after receiving information about a group of people who were forging official transactions and documents, they were able to arrest two individuals identified by the initials Kh. A. and B. D. on April 18 in Beddawi, Tripoli, North Lebanon.
The ISF said it seized four forged stamps, forged official documents, and counterfeit money amounting to $800.
According to the ISF, the two men "confessed to what was attributed to them," adding that the group was "falsifying Lebanese individual registration data for Syrian families."
The issue of Syrian refugees' presence in Lebanon has resurfaced in recent months, with many Lebanese leaders renewing their calls for their repatriation. Meanwhile, human rights organizations continue to warn of the risks of forced returns to Syria.
On April 13, caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that the plan his cabinet wants to enforce consists of "deporting Syrians who are in Lebanon without a job or legal pretext," but that "the rights of those who have residence and work permits" will be respected.