The Lebanese Armed Forces successfully rescued 27 migrants from a sinking boat off the coast of northern Lebanon on Saturday, according to a military statement. While the nationalities of the migrants and their destination were not disclosed, the rescue comes amid a heightened flow of migrants from Lebanon and neighboring countries attempting perilous Mediterranean journeys to Europe.
Lebanon’s severe economic crisis since October 2019 has exacerbated emigration rates, including among its Syrian and Palestinian refugee populations. Lebanon hosts about 805,000 UN-registered Syrian refugees; however, officials claim the real number is closer to 1.5 million to 2 million. Additionally, the country is home to tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees.
In recent months, an increasing number of Syrians have been entering Lebanon through illegal crossings due to deteriorating conditions in Syria. Lebanese officials have warned that the rising inflow could disrupt the country’s fragile demographic balance.
Last month, Lebanese forces detained multiple Lebanese and Syrian individuals in the north of the country who were planning to send migrants to Europe. This follows a tragic incident last September when a boat from Lebanon capsized off the Syrian coast, resulting in at least 94 deaths.
In a related development, Syrian Navy patrols intercepted a migrant boat off the coast of Latakia, marking a rare occurrence in the war-torn country.