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Baalbeck-Hermel Governor Bashir Khodr revealed that the security forces are dealing with a new phenomenon, which is the forgery of general security cards by Syrian refugees who enter clandestinely from Syrian territories into Lebanese territories.
“Arrests have been made in this regard, and dozens of people have been caught by the security forces and the matter is now in the hands of the judiciary,” he stated.
In a previous statement earlier in March, during a televised appearance, Khodr highlighted the army’s work at the borders, stressing that “the presence of illegal crossings and smuggling is not a shortcoming of the security forces and the army, as they are doing their utmost duties.”
Khodr also addressed the issue of illegal labor, saying that Syrian refugees are not complying to the professions that the Ministry of Labor allowed them to work in.
“We started a campaign about a month ago, and the procedures are still ongoing. We face many obstacles in this file, due to the heavy burden on the public sector, especially the security forces, and there are sometimes legal difficulties, including overcrowding in prisons. In any case, this phenomenon must be stopped, and violating the laws is unacceptable,” he said.
While assuring that “we have nothing against the Syrian refugees,” Khodr stressed on the fact that they must comply with the laws of the country that has been hosting them for about 13 years.
On another note, Khodr confirmed that “Baalbek has been safe for a long time, thanks to our security forces, which have made tremendous efforts recently to make this area much safer than before.” He said that all the logistical and, most importantly, security measures have been taken for the festivals in summer: “There will be exceptional security coverage for the festivals, like every year, the security presence will continue for hours after the concert.”
