BEIRUT, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's Higher Defense Council instructed the country's General Security to send away Syrian refugees who entered Lebanon in an illegal way to curb human trafficking, local media reported on Monday.
"We are more concerned of human trafficking practices on Lebanese borders and illegal borders than the smuggling of products," Ola Boutros, advisor to Lebanese foreign affairs minister, was quoted as saying by Elnashra, an online independent newspaper.
Human trafficking is a very big problem, Boutros added, which leads to prostitution, early marriages and other dangerous practices that impact the safety and security of Syrian refugees.
Boutros explained that the entry of Syrian refugees through 163 illegal borders caused such practices.
Boutros said that around 1,075 Syrian refugees entered illegally to Lebanon and were registered with the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees to receive donations.
This contradicts a decision taken by the Lebanese government in 2015 barring the UN refugee agency from registering Syrian refugees, the advisor added.
The government has also placed additional restrictions on the entry of Syrian refugees into the country without guarantors, work visas or visas for transit.
Such measures led to a rise in the number of Syrian refugees attempting to enter Lebanon illegally.
As a result, security forces have been trying to crack down on smuggling in areas close to the border with Syria.
