Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati (C) poses for a picture with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides during their meeting at the Grand Serail government headquarters in Beirut on May 2, 2024. (Credit: Joseph Eid/AFP)
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday announced $1 billion in aid for Lebanon during a visit to the crisis-hit country and urged it to tackle illegal migration to the bloc.
The European Union has already agreed on deals with Tunisia, Mauritania and other countries to stem the flow of irregular migrants.
"I can announce a financial package of $1 billion for Lebanon that would be available from this year until 2027," von der Leyen said, adding that "we want to contribute to Lebanon's socio-economic stability."
The European Commission president said the aid was designed to strengthen basic services such as education and health in the country mired in a severe economic crisis.
She called for the adoption of reforms, saying: "Lebanon needs a positive economic momentum to give opportunities to its businesses and citizens."
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed his gratitude for the EU's assistance and for European support for the army and law enforcement agencies "to control sea and land borders and prevent illegal migration to and from Lebanon."
The authorities in Beirut say Lebanon currently hosts around two million people from neighboring, war-torn Syria – the world's highest number of refugees per capita – with almost 785,000 registered with the United Nations.
"We understand the challenges that Lebanon faces with hosting Syrian refugees and other displaced persons," said von der Leyen, adding the EU had supported Lebanon with 2.6 billion euros to host those people.
War refugees
The war in Syria that erupted in 2011 after the government repressed peaceful pro-democracy protests has killed more than half a million people and displaced around half of the pre-war population.
Lebanon has also faced nearly seven months of border clashes between its powerful, Iran-backed Shiite movement Hezbollah and Israel that flared the day after the Israel-Hamas war broke out in the Gaza Strip.
During the meeting, Mikati reiterated that Lebanon "has borne the heaviest burden since 2011" in the region by welcoming Syrians, who according to him represent "nearly a third of the population" and that unless the issue is handled, it could have a snowball effect and "spreading to Europe,” transforming the situation into a “regional and international crisis.”
Von der Leyen said the EU was committed to maintaining "legal pathways open to Europe" and resettling refugees to the bloc, but added that "at the same time, we count on your good cooperation to prevent illegal migration and combat migrant smuggling."
Lebanon's economy collapsed in late 2019, turning the country into a launchpad for migrants, with Lebanese joining Syrians and Palestinian refugees making perilous voyages bound for Europe.
The eastern Mediterranean country remains essentially leaderless, without a president and headed by a caretaker government with limited powers amid deadlock between entrenched political barons.
Von der Leyen was accompanied by Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, who is on his second visit to Lebanon in less than a month.
Cyprus, the EU's easternmost member, located less than 200 kilometers from Lebanon and Syria, wants to curb migrant boat departures from Lebanon towards its shores.
It says the Israel-Hamas war has weakened Beirut's efforts to monitor its territorial waters.
Some Lebanese politicians have blamed Syrians for their country's worsening troubles, and pressure often mounts ahead of an annual conference on Syria held in Brussels, with a ministerial meeting set for May 27.