Israel has been attacking Hezbollah positions on and off for some time. At this point, Lebanon’s top leadership was destroyed. But it also has an impact on the Lebanese population. They are fleeing to neighboring Syria to escape air and ground attacks. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, about 250,000 people have crossed the Syrian border so far. But Syria itself has long struggled with civil war. In this case, how safe is it to seek refuge in that country?
In 2011, civil war broke out in Syria. Between then and the beginning of this year, 14 million people there immigrated to other countries or were displaced in their own places. Most sought refuge in Germany, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and Lebanon. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) ranks it as the world’s largest refugee crisis. Now that the civil war has stopped, Syrian citizens themselves do not feel it is safe to return. People from neighboring Lebanon come here to seek refuge.
How is the relationship?
Relations between the two countries continue to fluctuate, but overall, contacts between the two countries remain common due to religious and cultural similarities. Both places are heavily influenced by Arabic and Islamic culture. There is also a bond between bread and daughters. Hezbollah is also the link between the two. Lebanese Shiite armed groups have supported the government of Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian war. Political relations were also formed from this.
In terms of providing asylum, Lebanon hosted a large number of Syrian refugees during the Syrian civil war in 2011. It is estimated that there are approximately 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Now Lebanese are also looking for a foothold in the neighboring country. Syria itself is unstable, but there are currently no restrictions on people crossing the border as it continues to flow refugees into the country.
Is anywhere in Syria safe?
Within weeks, millions of Lebanese crossed the Syrian border. At the same time, people are talking about the country itself being a victim of instability and poverty. Even inside, it is divided into four parts. These four people all have less, some more, but they all lack security.
– 60% of Syria is under the control of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Assad’s military is handling the matter.
– Its northwest region is occupied by Tahrir al-Sham, a group that has extremist ideas and acts in the same way.
– The northern border is adjacent to Türkiye, and Turkish troops occupy the area. His charge is that if this is not done, extremists from the other side of the border will get there too.
-Syrian Kurdish forces take control of northeastern Syria. These are militias, not government troops.
None of the four parts are considered safe. A recent study by the German Institute for Global and Area Research (GIGA) concluded that Germany, which is plagued by a large number of Syrian refugees, should not deport refugees back to its home country under any circumstances.
Another report, “Syria Insecurity,” explained these four parts in detail. Even as President Assad’s government ranks the region as one of the most repressive in the world, there are claims that mass disappearances, military trials and torture of opponents are common in the regime. In addition, the government here holds more than 125,000 prisoners, but no one knows their conditions. They are all political rebels opposed to Assad’s government.
What other dangers exist in Syria?
– Civil fighting has wreaked havoc on Syria’s infrastructure. Resources such as electricity, water and education are also very limited in much of the country.
——The political situation in Syria remains unstable. Assad’s government controls most of the region, but conditions are not good anywhere.
– The country is still subject to many international sanctions, so the economic and political situation in the country is deteriorating day by day.
– Although the Islamic State (ISIS) is thought to have been eliminated from Syria in 2016, the ideology remains prevalent.
