Lebanon's push to reduce Syrian refugee numbers

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati chaired a meeting in Beirut on Monday to discuss the file of Syrian refugees as Lebanese leaders renew their calls for their repatriation.

The meeting took place ahead of the visit of European Union President Ursula von der Leyen and President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides, who will arrive in Beirut on May 2.

The Cypriot president visited Lebanon on April 16 and, following a meeting with Mikati, the officials agreed on the need for Cyprus to intercede with the European Union for the implementation of an agreement with Lebanon on the issue of Syrian migrants.

The European Union has already signed agreements with several countries, notably Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia, to help them cope with the growing migratory burden and, ultimately, avoid an overflow into the EU's 27 member states. With these agreements, the Europeans expect the migrants' countries of origin or transit to halt departures and readmit their illegal nationals to the EU, with a package of aid and investment at stake. Human rights groups have strongly criticized these agreements.

At the end of March, European Commissioner Margaritis Schinas said from Cyprus that the EU could conclude such an agreement with Lebanon.

Earlier in the month, Christodoulides had commented on the influx of migrants from Lebanon, urging Lebanon not to "export its migration problem," to which the Lebanese prime minister had responded by calling on the international community to "understand" the situation.

According to Reuters, at least 600 Syrians from Lebanon arrived in Cyprus in the first four days of April on small boats, thanks to mild weather. The treacherous sea crossing from Lebanon or Syria to Cyprus takes around 10 hours.

Lebanon currently has 784,884 Syrian refugees registered with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), according to December 2023 figures. The official estimate remains at around 1.5 million, including those not registered with the UNHCR, making Lebanon the country with the highest refugee population per capita in the world.

Ninety percent of Syrian refugees in Lebanon live in extreme poverty, according to the international NGO Human Rights Watch.