ALBAWABA - The Lebanese Army reported rescuing 51 people after their boat capsized right before the Lebanese shores. Most of the migrants on board were Syrians.
The military obtained “information about a vessel that was sinking off the coast of Tripoli while it was being used for illegal people smuggling,” the army said in a statement, referring to a city in north Lebanon, AFP reported.
Naval forces were able to “rescue 51 people aboard, including two Palestinians and 49 Syrians,” the statement added.
According to the statement, the Lebanese Red Cross assisted those rescued and did not specify where the boat was headed. Migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees leaving Lebanon by boat are generally looking for a better life in Europe, and they frequently travel to the east Mediterranean island of Cyprus, which is only 200 kilometers (125 miles) away.
Lebanon hosts around two million Syrians, authorities say, while some 800,000 are registered with the United Nations — the world’s highest number of refugees per capita.
Lebanon’s economy collapsed in late 2019, turning the country into a launchpad for migrants. Authorities often announce they have thwarted smuggling operations by sea or the arrest of both smugglers and would-be migrants.
Lebanese nationals have also been making the treacherous voyage toward Europe alongside Syrians fleeing war and economic woes in their country, as well as Palestinian refugees.
