EU commits €1 Billion for Lebanon to aid with unregulated immigration and refugee situation

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati (C) poses for a picture with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides at the government headquarters in Beirut on May 2, 2024 (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)

ALBAWABA – The European Union is providing €1 billion (~$1.06 billion) in financial assistance to Lebanon over the course of three years, according to EuroNews to support the country’s economy and avoid a rise in migrants fleeing to Europe.

€736 million will be directly intended in assisting Lebanon to strengthen border control in order to reduce the influx of refugees and migrants as many of end up seeking asylum in Cyprus through the Mediterranean Sea, as well as addressing the obstacles it has in receiving Syrian refugees.

During a visit to Beirut with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated, as cited by The Associated Press, that the financial assistance distribution will begin this year and continue until 2027.

The head of the European Commission added that the aid is intended to bolster fundamental services in areas like education and health Lebanon, according to AFP, which is now experiencing an extensive financial crisis, while also supporting the Lebanese army, the aid is “mainly focused on providing equipment and training for border management”, she noted.

Lebanon, which has an approximate population of 5.5 million, has been sheltering around one million Syrian refugees since the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011, according to Bloomberg, with the EU has granting Lebanon over €3 billion in financial assistance, the majority of which has gone to refugees and the communities that welcome them.