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Lebanon to Grant Entry to Assyrian Refugees From Syria
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Assyrian Christians, who fled the unrest in Syria, attend a prayer for the 220 abducted Christians at the Saint Georges Assyrian Church in Beirut.
The Interior Ministry will permit Assyrian Christians fleeing northeastern Syria to enter Lebanon, a ministry source told The Daily Star Thursday. Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk instructed General Security after the decision was taken Wednesday night to facilitate the arrival of Assyrians coming from Syria's Hassakeh province, the source said. There are no registered arrivals as of yet, but the source said that if they manage to make the journey to Lebanese borders they would be permitted entry so long as they can present a valid ID. The decision was made in light of reports that ISIS had abducted hundreds of Assyrian Christians, prompting international concern for the fate of the minority group. Many of those abducted are said to be women, children and elderly. They were reportedly taken after ISIS raided several Assyrian villages under the control of Kurdish forces. The kidnappings had also reportedly prompted thousands of Christians to flee their homes to avoid capture by the militant group. "The decision was taken after the [kidnapping] incident in Hassakeh and after the news that Syrians were fleeing the province," the source said. Machnouk is expected to meet with Assyrian religious officials Friday to provide them with a guarantee that Lebanese authorities will grant entry. The journey from Hassakeh to Lebanon takes several days and officials are uncertain which border crossing incoming Assyrians may use. There are already several thousand Assyrians living in Lebanon, the vast majority are undocumented. The Interior Ministry's decision to ease the entry for the minority group comes at time when Lebanese authorities have implemented stricter measures for Syrian nationals.



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