International reporting
Thousands of Lebanese go into exile in Cyprus to escape a bankrupt country
Audio 02:32
A couple and their two children at Beirut International Airport are leaving Lebanon for Cyprus on September 2, 2021 (illustration image).
AFP - ANWAR AMRO
By: Noé Pignède Follow
Destination Cyprus for thousands of Lebanese as a historic economic and political crisis has been hitting their country for almost three years.
As in the 1980s when Cyprus took in 100,000 Lebanese fleeing the civil war, these families are moving abroad in the hope of a better life.
No more power cuts, water cuts, gasoline and medicine shortages, which have become a daily occurrence in the land of Cedars.
Located just half an hour's flight from Beirut, the smallest country in the European Union has become a land of welcome for many wealthy families in search of stability and to offer a future to their children.
Lebanon
Cyprus
European Union