German Support to Lebanese Border Control

Since 2006, Germany has been cooperating with Lebanese authorities in order to improve border security and border control management. The United Nations have underlined the need for upgrading Lebanon's border control in order to reduce illegal border crossing of people and goods.

In this framework, a permanent German advisor team was sent to Beirut, and the Federal Foreign Office as well as the Federal Ministry of the Interior have supported various projects for improved border control, either by sending state-of-the art- technical equipment or experts and advisors for training programmes in Lebanon.

On 14 December 2011, a variety of necessary equipment for the offices of the Common Border Force headquarters and of the border crossing points in Northern Lebanon were handed over to the Head of the Common Border Forces Command, General Simon Wehbe, in Tripoli, by the Deputy Chief of Mission of the German Embassy in Lebanon, Michael Bierhoff.

During the handover ceremony, Mr. Bierhoff acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue and the difficulties for the border forces to accomplish their task, particularly while witnessing right now the critical developments in neighbouring Syria. He expressed at the same time his high appreciation of the progress achieved by the Lebanese border control agencies during the last years.

The Common Border Force for Northern Lebanon brings the experts of the General Security (GS), the Internal Security Forces (ISF) and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) together in headquarters in Tripoli.