On Thursday 2 May, during a visit to Beirut, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced financial support of €1 billion for Lebanon for the period 2024-2027, to contribute to the country’s socio-economic stability.
The spokesman for the European External Action Service, Peter Stano, explained that three quarters of these funds - grants only, not loans - amounting to €736 million, will be used to support Lebanon in its response to the Syrian refugee crisis, while the remaining €264 million will be used for bilateral cooperation, in particular to support the country’s security services and armed forces.
According to Mrs von der Leyen, this support should make it possible to strengthen basic services such as education, social protection and health for the Lebanese population. In addition, “we will support you in pursuing economic, financial and banking reforms”, she announced at a press conference with the Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, and the Cypriot President, Nikos Christodoulides, recalling that reforms were essential to the long-term improvement of the country’s overall economic situation.
The aid package should also support the Lebanese Armed Forces and the country’s other security forces. This will mainly involve the supply of border management equipment and training, specified Mrs von der Leyen. “In addition, it would be very useful for Lebanon to conclude a working agreement with Frontex, particularly on the exchange of information and situational awareness”, she added. Counting on good cooperation between the EU and Lebanon to prevent illegal immigration and combat migrant smuggling, the President promised that the EU would commit to keeping legal channels open to Europe and to resettling refugees from Lebanon to the EU.
Considering the safe return of Syrian refugees
Mrs von der Leyen promised that the EU would examine how to make EU aid to Syrian refugees and host communities more effective. “This includes looking at how to work on a more structured approach to voluntary returns to Syria, in close cooperation with the UNHCR. At the same time, the international community must step up its support for humanitarian and early recovery programmes in Syria”, she explained.
“We need to work much more closely with our partners and the UNHCR to discuss the issue of voluntary returns, and not just voluntary returns. The situation in certain regions of Syria deserves to be examined”, emphasised Mr Christodoulides. “The current situation is untenable for Lebanon. This is not sustainable for Cyprus or for the European Union”. Cyprus is currently experiencing strong migratory pressure with the arrival of large numbers of Syrian refugees. The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon has confirmed 59 ‘actual or attempted’ departures of boats carrying 3,191 people from Lebanon between January and mid-April 2024, compared with 65 departures of boats carrying 3,927 passengers over the whole of 2023.
The Lebanese Prime Minister felt that, based on the reality of the current situation in Syria, “there must be European and international recognition of the fact that most Syrian regions have become safe, which would facilitate the process of the return of displaced persons”. According to him, most of the Syrians who entered Lebanon after 2016 did so for purely economic reasons and are not considered displaced persons. Mr Mikati warned that “any blowup linked to the issue of displaced persons will not be limited to Lebanon, but will spread to Europe and become a regional and international crisis”.
Since 2011, the EU has supported Lebanon to the tune of €2.6 billion for Syrian refugees and host communities, and a new conference on Syria will be held on 27 May.
The President of the European Commission also expressed her deep concern at the unstable situation in southern Lebanon, calling for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. “This must be part of a negotiated diplomatic settlement”, she said. Mr Mikati reiterated his appeal to the international community to put pressure on Israel to end its prolonged aggression against southern Lebanon. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)