In Lebanon, poverty pushes entire families to leave by sea for Cyprus or Italy. In 2023 alone, around a hundred boats left northern Lebanon, with several thousand people on board.
Smugglers charge between 3,000 and 7,000 euros per person for the crossing. They are heavily armed according to testimonies from survivors. The boats are precarious and overloaded. On board, migrants are regularly victims of pullbacks. The Lebanese are repatriated automatically, because there is an agreement with Cyprus. Syrians can apply for asylum, but the process can take several years.