Zahle dismantles informal Syrian camps

BEKAA — The municipality of Zahle-Mwallaqa and Taanayel began on Friday the dismantling of several informal camps of displaced Syrians that fall within its perimeter.

In a statement reported by our correspondent, the municipality frames these activities as part of the "ongoing efforts to organize land use and preserve public safety."

Lebanon hosts some 1.5 million displaced people since the beginning of the war in Syria in 2011, according to official figures. The significant number of these displaced people has always been controversial, especially since the regime change in Syria last December with the fall of Bashar al-Assad and his replacement by Ahmad al-Sharaa. For many, the political reasons for the presence of these nationals in Lebanon are no longer justified. However, the return of the displaced to their home country faces the economic difficulties of the neighboring country.

In its statement, the municipality of Zahle specifies that its action "focused on informal camps illegally established on private and public land, as well as in sites abandoned for a long time, making them unsanitary places from ecological and health perspectives."

The new city council, elected in May 2025, places this action within the broader framework of a "comprehensive plan to address abuses and violations through strict enforcement of existing laws."

Reporting by our regional correspondent Sarah Abdallah.