The EU is expected to offer financial aid to Lebanon to stop the flow of refugees to Cyprus.
Cyprus is concerned about the growing number of Syrian refugees. The country has suspended the processing of Syrian asylum applications.
In the first three months of this year, more than 2,000 Syrian asylum seekers arrived in Cyprus by sea from Lebanon. At the same time last year, there were only 78 visitors.
Hundreds of thousands of Syrians in Lebanon
According to the UN refugee agency, there are 800,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon, according to official figures, but in reality the number of refugees is estimated to be around one and a half million.
Many of them have been in Lebanon since the beginning of the protests that turned into the Syrian civil war, i.e. more than 10 years. Only a small part of the Syrians who came to Lebanon have dared to return to Syria.
The former multiple Syrian may leave
Director of the UN migration organization IOM Amy Pope warns that even more Syrians are seeking to leave Lebanon.
In an interview with the news agency AP, Pope says that many countries have cut their funding to organizations that help Syrians.
Lebanon is in a deep economic crisis and the attitudes of the Lebanese towards the Syrians have become negative.
The nearest EU country is Cyprus, which is about 180 kilometers away by sea. At the beginning of the year, numerous boats have brought asylum seekers from Lebanon. Cypriots according to media reports on April 17, the country’s coastguard intercepted five vessels heading from Lebanon to Cyprus.
According to a Lebanese human rights lawyer four of the ships ended up back in Lebanon and one in Syria.
The EU promises financial aid
According to the spokesman of the Cyprus government, the European Union intends to offer Lebanon financial aid to stabilize the situation.
President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen will visit the country’s capital, Beirut, on Thursday together with the president of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulidis with.
According to media reports, Lebanon’s representatives have made it clear that ships aiming for Cyprus will not be stopped if the country’s economy is not supported.
Lebanon drifted into a deep economic crisis in 2019. The country has tried to get help from the International Monetary Fund, the IMF, but it has not implemented the economic reforms demanded by the IMF.
Sources: AP, Reuters