The Lebanese Army announced on Wednesday that it had turned back 700 Syrians attempting to enter Lebanon illegally last week.
In recent months, the Army arrested and deported many Syrians who were in Lebanon illegally.
According to official estimates, Lebanon is home to two million Syrian refugees, around half of its population. Nearly 830,000 of them are registered with the UN.
A security official in Beirut told AFP that deteriorating economic conditions in Syria had prompted more people to flee the country, many hoping to reach Europe by sea. “Some hope to find work here in Lebanon, but many hope to flee to Europe,” he added on condition of anonymity.
On August 12, the Lebanese army announced that it had arrested 130 Syrians and four Lebanese attempting to reach Europe illegally via the Mediterranean sea from northern Lebanon. On the same day, it announced the arrest of 150 Syrians who had entered Lebanon illegally, near the border.
