54 Syrians arrested in Lebanon for illegal entry

BEIRUT, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese state security forces arrested on Thursday 54 Syrian nationals in al-Souwayri in Bekaa for their illegal entry to Lebanon, Al Jadeed local TV Channel reported.

The security forces also arrested a human smuggler for facilitating the entry of the 54 Syrians.

The arrested people, including women and children, were referred to judicial bodies for further investigations and other legal procedures.

The Lebanese government has barred the UN refugee agency from registering Syrian refugees without guarantors, work visas or visas for transit since 2015.

Such measures led to a rise in the number of Syrian refugees attempting to enter Lebanon illegally.