Cypriot President Nicos Christodoulidis will travel to Lebanon on Monday to discuss migration issues. Cyprus has reported a crisis related to refugee flows. According to the Cyprus government, in 2024, more than 2,000 people arrived by sea in the first three months, compared to only 78 in the same period last year. About 800 people have arrived alone by boat in the previous five days to different parts of the island.
Cyprus is insisting that the EU recognize some areas of Syria as safe for migrants’ return and condition the EU’s aid to Lebanon to prevent migrants’ departure. With a population of 1.25 million, Cyprus is the closest EU member state to Lebanon, and the 264-kilometer sea journey by motorboat takes about 10 hours. According to Cypriot authorities, the boats are primarily Syrian men seeking asylum.
