Information
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Lebanon to unveil a significant economic aid package totalling €1 billion, aimed at supporting the country through 2027. This financial assistance is set to enhance Lebanon’s socio-economic stability by improving fundamental services like education and healthcare. Von der Leyen emphasized the importance of Lebanon implementing reforms to stimulate positive economic momentum, which would benefit local businesses and citizens alike. She also reiterated the EU’s commitment to maintaining legal migration routes and the resettlement of refugees within the EU, while simultaneously urging Lebanon to curb illegal migration and combat migrant smuggling.
The necessity of this aid stems from the dire conditions faced by Lebanon, which currently hosts around 805,000 UN-registered Syrian refugees, with 90% living in poverty. Lebanon is also grappling with a severe financial crisis and ongoing border clashes involving Hezbollah. Cyprus, feeling the strain from a rising number of migrants from Lebanon, has pushed the EU to extend similar support to Lebanon as it has done to other Mediterranean nations like Turkey and Egypt. Cypriot officials have argued that the migrant situation is unsustainable, leading them to halt the processing of asylum applications from Syrian nationals. Accompanied by Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, von der Leyen’s visit underscores the deep ties and ongoing support between the EU and Lebanon, aiming to bolster their longstanding cooperation.
Source: AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa
So what
As previously mentioned, investment in home countries is possibly one of the key ways to slow down immigration to the West. While this is extremely challenging and needs to be balanced with things such as security, anti-corruption and other measures, it is still a vital way of reducing the levels of illegal immigration. It’s effectiveness in the short term will be difficult to measure, but it the medium to long term it may pay off.
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