EU chief announces $1bn in aid for Lebanon to shore up economy

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 deals with Tunisia, Mauritania and other countries to stem flows 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.

The bulk of the package — 736 million euros — would go to supporting Syrian refugees “and other vulnerable groups” in Lebanon, while 200 million euros would bolster Lebanese security services in enforcing border and migration control, according to figures provided by the Cypriot government.

An unspecified amount of the aid would go to Lebanese fishermen, to discourage them from selling their boats to be used by smugglers.

Von der Leyen called for the adoption of reforms, saying: "Lebanon needs a positive economic momentum to give opportunities to its businesses and citizens."

She said the EU will also be “exploring how to work on a more structured approach to voluntary return to Syria in close cooperation with” the U.N. refugee agency, or UNHCR, and called for more international support for humanitarian and early recovery projects in Syria.

Von der Leyen added that 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 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.

- 'Historic day' -

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 it shores.

It says the Israel-Hamas war has weakened Beirut's efforts to monitor its territorial waters.

Christodoulides hailed Thursday's visit as a “historic day” and praised the EU decision, calling for European officials to go farther and declare some areas of Syria safe for return.

"I am honoured to be part of this day because I consider it a historic day," said Christodoulides.

"I am very confident that this package announced today will enhance the capacity of Lebanese authority to handle various challenges including controlling land and maritime borders, ensuring the safety of its citizens, fight against people smuggling and continue their fight against terrorism," the Cypriot leader added.

“The current situation is not sustainable for Lebanon. It is not sustainable for Cyprus, it is not sustainable for the European Union,” he said.

Lebanon's Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati praised the aid package, saying that "Lebanon’s security is security for European countries and vice versa.”

“Any blowup related to the issue of displaced persons will not be limited to Lebanon but will extend to Europe to become a regional and international crisis,” he said.

Mikati said: "We reiterate our request to the European Union... to help displaced people in their own countries to encourage them to return voluntarily, and thus guarantee them a decent life in their country of origin.

"If we insist on this issue, it is to warn against Lebanon becoming a transit country from Syria to Europe, and the problems at the Cypriot border are just one example of what could happen if this issue is not radically resolved."

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said after meeting von der Leyen and Christodoulides that "this is the first time" he senses "seriousness" in dealing with the refugee crisis.

But not all Lebanese officials are convinced the European aid would solve the problem.

Lebanese Forces party head Samir Geagea told The Associated Press earlier this week that European authorities are mainly concerned “that the refugees don’t go to Europe."

"For us the problem is that we cannot have our country drowning in illegal Syrian refugees,” Geagea said, urging for Syrians to be sent back to either government or opposition-held areas of the neighboring country.

- 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 Hezbollah and Israel that flared the day after the Israel-Hamas war broke out in the Gaza Strip.

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.

Lebanese political officials have been calling for years for the international community to either resettle the refugees in other countries or assist in returning them to Syria — voluntarily or not. Lebanese security forces have stepped up deportations of Syrians over the past year.

Tensions around the presence of refugees have further flared since an official with the Christian nationalist Lebanese Forces party, Pascal Suleiman, was killed last month in what military officials said was a botched carjacking by a Syrian gang. The incident prompted outbreaks of anti-Syrian violence by vigilante groups.

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.