(Zaman Al Wasl)- A huge fire broke out overnight in a camp sheltering hundreds of Syrian refugees in the Lebanese town of Deir al-Ahmar as rescue workers are still working to extinguish the fire.
Activists said Lebanese men had set the fire in al-Kartias camp to force the refugees to leave the camp.
Early Friday, about 700 Syrian refugees left Deir al-Ahmar after severe restrictions and a local curfew imposed by the town's municipality, amid calls for their forcible removal, according to the Lebanese media.
Lebanon has hosted more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees, a significant burden for a country of some 4.5 million people since the Syrian civil war's outbreak in 2011.
While fighting has slowed or ended in many areas of Syria, the UN has stressed that all returns should be voluntary.
The rights groups say some 74 percent of Syrians in Lebanon lack legal residency and are at risk of detention.
AFP reported that the Lebanese Supreme Defence Council, whose decisions are not made public, recently instructed General Security Directorate to deport all Syrians who have entered the country illegally.
Syria's war has killed more than 560,000 people and displaced millions inside the country and abroad.
The war was triggered in March 2011 by a violent crackdown on anti-regime demonstrations.
Zaman Al Wasl
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.