Crackdown on illegal crossings: Smuggling routes dry up as Lebanon and Syria boost border enforcement

Report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi    

Nearly a year ago, the Bqaiaa–Arida crossing was one of the most active illegal crossing points between Lebanon and Syria. A narrow stretch of water separating the two countries served as an open corridor for unauthorized crossings, used by people, goods, motorcycles, and vehicles.

When an LBCI team returned recently to the exact location, the change was immediately apparent. 

Lebanese-Syrian measures to prevent smuggling have intensified, and scenes of movement across the river have largely disappeared. The Lebanese Army is now deployed on the Lebanese side, while Syrian army units are positioned on the Syrian side.

Hours pass before a Syrian family of women and children appears, attempting to return to Syria by crossing the river illegally. The team follows their movement until they enter the water, only for a Syrian unit to spot them moments later and prevent the crossing as the family turns back. They wait nearby, hoping nightfall might offer another chance to cross.

The stricter controls in the Bqaiaa–Arida area began several months ago and have included the arrest of individuals operating illegal crossings by the Syrian army. 

Across other regions, from northern Lebanon to the Bekaa Valley, particularly around the Masnaa border area and extending to Kfar Zabad, routes once heavily used by Syrian displaced people for illegal entry have seen a sharp decline in activity. 

The drop in human smuggling is mainly attributed to stricter measures imposed by the Lebanese Army in the north and the Bekaa, as well as a shift in Syria whereby the Defense Ministry, rather than the Interior Ministry, assumed responsibility for border control. This has been coupled with increased Lebanese-Syrian coordination. 

According to Syrian Defense Ministry sources and Lebanese sources cited by LBCI, the driving force behind these measures includes security concerns linked to the Islamic State group, supporters of the former Syrian regime, and Hezbollah.

However, the decline in illegal crossings does not mean smuggling has stopped entirely. Attempts by trafficking networks continue, including operations transporting people from Syria to areas as far as Beirut's Cola.

Testimonies from individuals involved in smuggling at northern crossings indicate the persistence of these networks despite tightened controls. One stark indicator of continued illegal movement is the explosion of land mines along the Kabir River, remnants planted during the era of the former Syrian regime, which have injured Lebanese and Syrians alike.