Refugees stream out of Syria as violence escalates Seeking a safe haven, more and more people are fleeing Syria's violence and heading abroad. The border with Lebanon has seen a mass exodus. Up to 30,000 Syrians have crossed in just 48 hours, according to the UN's refugee agency. Many of them have fled the bloodshed in Damascus. Others are heading south into Jordan while more than 43,000 Syrian refugees are registered as living in Turkey. More senior Syrian soldiers are said to have defected to Turkey which would bring the number of Syrian generals taking refuge there to 24. Some 140,000 Syrians have found shelter in Jordan. Rebels say they have captured several border crossings with Iraq and Turkey. The confusion of the situation is spelt out by Abdullah, a Syrian refugee at a Turkish border crossing. "The new customs building at Bab al Hawa is in rebel hands and the old one is controlled by Syrian soldiers," he said. Last week, Iraq called on tens of thousands of its citizens living in Syria to return home because of the escalating violence. As many people leave the country, up to a million are believed to be displaced inside Syria where reports say banks are running out of cash. More about: Bashar al-Assad, Refugees, Syria