The recent deaths of Lebanese citizens, along with Syrian refugees, trying to illegally migrate from Turkey to Europe has refocused attention on the impasse in Lebanon in dealing with so many displaced people. The refugee issue is an urgent humanitarian priority as well as a tragedy for Syrians and Lebanese alike, yet no serious solutions are in sight.
The issue crept back into the headlines with news that on Oct. 12 nine of 12 members of the Lebanese Safwan family, traveling aboard a rubber boat from Turkey trying to reach Greece, had drowned when the boat was punctured and sank. The tragedy highlights the Syrian and Lebanese dimensions of displacement to and in Lebanon.