18% of Syrian refugees in Lebanon entered through illegal crossings

Head of the security committee tasked to follow up the affairs of Syrian refugees at the Interior Ministry, General Pierre Salem, expected that the flow of Syrian refugees to Lebanon will increase, especially if other neighboring countries stop receiving the displaced Syrian people.

Salem stressed that the committee's success is related to the comprehensive treatment of all the aspects of the problem.

For his part, UN Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon Robert Watkins revealed that the UN is preparing for possible on-the-ground scenarios, including the displacement of more Syrians residents of Damascus, should the security situation further deteriorate there.

In this context, Head of the UNHCR's Legal Unit in Lebanon Dominique Tohme said that more than 200,000 Syrian refugees are registered in Lebanon so far, emphasizing that 18% of these refugees have entered the Lebanese territories through illegal crossings.

Tohme added that those who entered Lebanon legally are facing problems concerning the renewal of the return tickets issued by the General Security offices located on the Lebanese-Syrian borders.