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.
Liu brothers quickly into high gear
Xi Calls for Better Integration of Modernization Process in China, Singapore
Anderson aiming to dish out more assists
Why US Catholics are planning pilgrimages in communities across the nation
Chinese police take back 130 gambling, scam suspects from Cambodia
Chinese company unveils revolutionary nuclear battery with 50
Over 600 enterprises sign up for 7th CIIE
Pregnancy app used by the NHS accused of 'imposing gender ideology'
Parcel delivery sees booming growth
Election 2024: Biden and Trump bypassed the Commission on Presidential Debates
China launches new sea routes to South America as trade booms