Albanian Minister of Interior Sander Lleshaj is visiting Lebanon to discuss possible repatriation of children and women in the Al-Hol (Al-Hawl) camp in Syria, Lebanese media report.
Lleshaj met with the Lebanese Minister of Interior, Mohammad Fahmi, on Monday, and with General Security Chief, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, on Tuesday. They discussed possible help by the Lebanese government to repatriate Albanians stuck in Syria’s Al-Hol refugee camp, bilateral relations, with a focus on cooperation in the fields of security and fight against terrorism.
The refugee camp is home to tens of thousands of women and children from many countries, who were displaced from territories taken by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from the Islamic State (ISIS). The exact number of Albanians there has not been made public, but Minister of State Elisa Spiropali has stated that there are 28 children.
The visit comes after dozens of protesters, including family members of refugees, demanded the government last week to work on repatriations.
Last year, Italian authorities rescued an Albania child from the same camp, following joint attempts with the Albanian government and other partners.
