3 Sudanese migrants detained, returned to Lebanon after trying to cross border

Migrants have repeatedly attempted to enter Jewish state in search of work in light of ongoing Lebanese economic crisis

By ToI Staff 22 March 2021, 1:43 am 0 Edit

Illustrative: A United Nations peacekeeping force (UNIFIL) convoy patrols next to Naqoura, in Lebanon near its border with Israel, October 13, 2020. (Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)

The Israel Defense Forces detained three people Sunday night who attempted to illegally cross the border into Israel from Lebanon.

Military sources said the three were questioned, discovered to be Sudanese migrants searching for work, and returned to Lebanon.

In recent months, dozens of Sudanese migrants have attempted to enter the Jewish state in search of work in light of the ongoing Lebanese economic crisis, which has left many of the country’s foreign workers unemployed or underpaid.

The military has also warned of growing instability on the frontier with a rise in smuggling efforts — both guns and drugs — in recent months, in addition to the migrant workers crossing the border.