The world’s most unlikely safe haven
As war rages in the Middle East, Shia are fleeing to a deadly dictatorship
To grasp how bad things are in Lebanon, consider that Syria—where war and tyranny created the world’s largest refugee crisis—now seems like a safe haven. Since September around 500,000 people have fled Israel’s invasion of their country for the war-torn and fragmented ex-state next door. Many have gone on foot, some clambering over craters created by Israeli air strikes near the border crossings. Most are leaving the country because the Lebanese do not want to shelter them.
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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “An unlikely haven”
From the November 16th 2024 edition
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