The 'hidden pathways:' Syria-Lebanon border crossings defy control efforts

At the beginning of each day, the Lebanese Army exhausts all its energy along the borders with Syria to minimize the waves of displacement into Lebanese territories as much as possible.

The clandestine entry from Syria into Lebanon has not ceased since the start of the war there. Today, despite the controls, it continues intensively and from various illegal border points, especially in the overlapping plain regions that stretch from Mashari al-Qaa, al-Qaa, Hermel, all the way to Aabboudiye, and also in various areas adjacent to the Syrian borders in Akkar and Wadi Khaled.

At a time when it can be said that smuggling through Ras Baalbek and its outskirts, the outskirts of Baalbek, the outskirts of Nahle, Younine, to the outskirts of Aarsal and Aarsal, all parallel to the western Qalamoun, has become more difficult.

This is due to the ruggedness of the mountainous area, the complex mountain roads, and the heightened state of alert of the army with its units and three border brigades present there, equipped with the capabilities to control the borders through devices, towers, and centers.

So, the soft "loin" from al-Qaa to Aabboudiye is what burdens the army and its units tasked with border control. 

According to information obtained by LBCI, dozens of families and individuals who secretly enter Lebanon daily are apprehended, equipped with identification papers, documents, Syrian signatures, and even forged UNHCR cards.

The army succeeds in detecting many of them, apprehending them, and returning them to where they came from or handing them over to the border units of the General Security for appropriate action.

In an attempt to multiply measures, the army established fixed barriers at vital intersections at Assi Bridge, at the Al-Mahatta point at the intersection of Hermel and al-Qaa, and in Harbata. 

These vital barriers are reinforced alongside temporary barriers, patrols, and ambushes, all to reduce the Syrian influx into Lebanon.

This comes after reports suggesting the possibility that the borders would witness the flow of more Syrians entering clandestinely due to the exacerbating crises in their country and the region.