Refugee agency chief warns that the number of Syrians leaving Lebanon is likely to rise
Time:2024-05-21 21:19:36 Source:businessViews(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:Eleanor Tomlinson puts on a leggy display in sparkly black minidress as she joins co
Next:China vows to actively promote restoration of int'l flights
You may also like
- David Cronenberg's new grief
- People Bustle on the First Day of 2024 in Relocation Sites of NW China's Gansu, Qinghai
- New Attraction in Harbin: Ice Sculptures of Terracotta Warriors
- People Across China Celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year
- Dodgers acquire pitcher Yohan Ramírez from Mets for cash
- People Prepare for Upcoming Chinese New Year Across China
- Intelligent Seedling Breeding Base Enhances Spring Farming Efficiency in Chongqing
- Shutterbug in Northeast China Records Growing Winter Sport Popularity
- Patrick Reed withdraws from US Open qualifying and ends streak of playing the majors