Syrian refugees seek shelter in Libya - Telegraph

Syrian refugees seek shelter in Libya - Telegraph

clipped from article:

By Ruth Sherlock in Benghazi

9:00PM GMT 09 Dec 2011

Buses from Damascus, crammed with Syrian families, are arriving daily into the east Libyan city of Benghazi.

"Up to 4,000 Syrian families have sought refuge in Libya in the last weeks, and the numbers are increasing every day" said Dr Mohammed Jammal, a Syrian community leader in the city. "The buses arrive full and go back empty. There used to be two a week, but now there are two a day."

The journey is a gruelling four and half days of travel, crossing first into Jordan, across the Suez Canal, through Egypt, and then down the long road to Benghazi.

But refugees say this was preferable to staying in neighbouring countries where they still felt unsafe. Many of the escaping families are opponents to the reign of President Bashar al-Assad, and fear persecution in Lebanon, whose government remains an ally of the Syrian regime, or even Turkey and Jordan by infiltrating Syrian intelligence officials.

"Libya is free now. There is no secret police to watch you move," said a refugee who nonetheless remained too fearful to give his real name.
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