Among the Syrians fleeing across the border

It’s one of those borders which has seen the ebb and flow of history – sometimes Lebanese fleeing into Syria, today Syrians fleeing into Lebanon. Over the last few days some 30,000 have come across, middle-class people in cars, getting out while they can.

But they weren’t all telling me that. “We’re just coming on holiday,” said several men bringing families across. These are supporters of President Bashar al-Assad. Their version of events is slightly contradictory – on the one hand, there is no fighting in Damascus but on the other, they blame “terrorists” for the fighting which isn’t happening.

“Those terrorists cover their faces and come to the houses at night. They go inside and start telling people to run away, saying ‘the army is coming to kill you’ so everyone is scared,” said a loud man, who was driving a group of women and children across. “Women get scared and they run away. Stay here and you’ll see them coming back tomorrow.”

A young woman whose father was using the bus he normally drives to get his mother and daughters out said, “The situation is unbearable in all of Damascus. At first it was outside but now it’s all of Damascus. The situation is very bad and we need to relax and take a break.”

 Another man was monosyllabic as he answered my questions. “Are you telling me there’s no fighting in Damascus?” I asked, incredulously. “No, it’s OK, relaxed.” “Everyone in Damascus is relaxed, are they?” “Yes.”

Then my translator pointed out the young man in the yellow t-shirt eavesdropping from behind my shoulder. No wonder my interviewee wasn’t saying anything – Syrian security is ubiquitous, and everyone knows what may happen to you or your family if you’re overheard saying something against the regime.

Nonetheless, I’m sure that many of those fleeing do support President Assad. His own Alawite community and Christians, among other minorities, fear the jihadis who have joined the opposition. Footage of rebel fighters shows increasing numbers of bearded men chanting religious slogans. Last year in Libya I realised that shouts of  “Allah Akbar!” don’t mean fighters are Islamists. But in recent footage from Syrian rebels I’ve seen black Islamist flags, and logos with more religious insignia.

At Barelias, a small town near the border, we met half a dozen Syrian men who are preparing for a larger influx. Only people with cars are allowed across the border now, they said, but they were expecting 3,000 on buses. They had bought hundreds of mattresses to put in local schools to accommodate poorer Syrians, who don’t have relatives on this side of the border. No-one knows how long this war will continue, but Damascus, they said, is no place for civilians at this time, whoever they hope will be in power when the fighting ends.

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