Army arrests hundreds attempting to leave Lebanon illegally by sea

BEIRUT — 204 people have been arrested for attempting to leave Lebanon illegally by sea, the Lebanese army said in a statement.

Fifty-four Syrians were arrested after a patrol raided the house of M.A. in the town of Bebnin, Akkar, northern Lebanon, according to the statement.

A patrol by Lebanon's Intelligence Directorate within the Lebanese Army arrested 150 Syrians off Arida beach in northern Lebanon, on the Syrian border.

The naval forces, along with an army unit, also arrested five Lebanese, 26 Syrians and Palestinians who were on board two boats off the coast of the Qoleiat area, before setting off.

The army did not disclose when the arrests were made, nor where the migrants were headed.

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Migrants traveling from Lebanon mostly try to get to Cyprus. They are mainly comprised of Syrians, fleeing their war-torn country, or the difficult living conditions in economic crisis-stricken Lebanon. Once there, very few are granted asylum or refugee status.

At the end of October, more than 30,000 people were waiting for a decision on their status. Some of them remain there for several years, according to the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cyprus.

In 2023, the UNHCR office in Beirut identified 59 boats carrying 3,528 passengers, the vast majority Syrian, as well as some Lebanese and Palestinian nationals. 29 arrived safely, three of whom were subsequently sent back to Lebanon, according to the UN agency.