Refugee agency chief warns that the number of Syrians leaving Lebanon is likely to rise
Time:2024-05-22 02:04:30 Source:opinionsViews(143)
BRUSSELS (AP) — The number of Syrian refugees leaving Lebanon is likely to keep rising, the head of a top international agency working with migrants warned Tuesday, as pressure builds due to their arrival on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.
Amy Pope, director general of the International Organization for Migration, said that around 3,000 Syrians have left Lebanon since January, compared to 4,500 for the whole of last year. Many of them have headed to Cyprus, about 110 miles (180 kilometers) away.
In response, Cyprus suspended the processing of asylum applications by Syrian nationals earlier this month due to the large numbers. Cypriot authorities have reportedly dispatched police patrol vessels just outside Lebanese territorial waters to thwart refugee boats trying to head to Cyprus.
Pope told The Associated Press that governments are cutting aid funding to agencies working with people who have fled Syria, which has been ravaged by civil war for over 13 years, and that this is making things worse. At the same time, some Lebanese communities are getting tired of hosting them.
Previous:Student fatally shot, suspect detained at Georgia's Kennesaw State University
Next:Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf is spotted on the streets of Gavin and Stacey's hometown Barry
You may also like
- The 13 style rules that every midlife woman MUST follow (and yes, beige really is banned!)
- China Focus: CPC Membership Exceeds 96.7 Million
- China head coach Jankovic vows to move forward after loss to S. Korea
- China Honors Shenzhou
- Demi Moore, 61, says full
- Record 11.93 Mln Students to Take China's College Entrance Exam
- Over 25 Mln Foreigners Learning Chinese by End of 2021: Education Ministry
- Students Prepare for National College Entrance Exam in China
- Election 2024: Biden and Trump bypassed the Commission on Presidential Debates