Cyprus concerned about arrivals of Syrian refugees from Lebanon

It is one of the gateways to Europe in the Mediterranean: the island of Cyprus is worried about the arrival of more and more refugees. These are Syrians fleeing the war, most of whom now pass through Lebanon. Nicosia accused the Lebanese government of participating in these entries into its territory. Cyprus currently has the second highest rate of asylum seekers in the European Union relative to its population.

The Pournara refugee camp in Kokkinotrimithia, a suburb of Nicosia, Cyprus, December 7, 2023. REUTERS - Yiannis Kourtoglou

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For several months, Nikos Christo-Doulides has seen

more and more

Syrian migrants arriving on his shores. In recent days, 350 people in 48 hours, a record.

The

Cypriot

president has an explanation: according to him,

Lebanon

, 160 kilometers away, would encourage illegal crossings.

“

 The number of Syrian migrants coming from Lebanon has only increased in recent weeks, which is extremely worrying,”

Nikos Christo-Doulides tells

Julien Chavanne

, from RFI's international service.

I fully understand the challenges Lebanon faces, but exporting migrants to Cyprus should not be the answer and cannot be accepted.

 »

Read alsoLebanon: refugees could represent almost half of the population in 2038, according to a study

The risk of returning to Syria

Lebanon is the first country to host Syrian refugees; there are between 800,000 and 1.5 million on its soil. But the

terrible economic crisis

in the country is pushing refugees to leave.

On the other hand, in Cyprus, the government does not hesitate to send Syrian migrants directly back to Lebanon. In August, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees was already concerned, fearing the return of these people to Syria where they risk persecution and torture.

Also readSyrian refugees from Lebanon caught up in the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel

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  • Lebanon

  • Cyprus

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  • Refugees

  • European Union