The European Union will help Lebanon shore up basic services such as education and healthcare, as well as promote economic reforms with support of €1 billion, said EU commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, after meeting acting Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in Beirut.
However, around three-quarters of the money — a total of €736 million — is specifically earmarked to help Lebanon meet the challenges of hosting Syrian refugees.
“We understand the challenges that Lebanon faces with hosting Syrian refugees and other displaced persons. It is vital to ensure the well-being of host communities and Syrian refugees,” von der Leyen said.
“The problems seen on the Cypriot border are only one example of what could happen if this problem is not addressed,” Makiti said after the meeting. The European Union has already signed repatriation agreements with several North African countries, but the results are so far very thin.
Earlier this week, the European Union introduced stricter visa limitations on Ethiopian citizens after what it said was a “lack of cooperation” on behalf of the Ethiopian government in the repatriation of its nationals ordered to leave the EU after entering illegally.
The EU has tripled the visa processing time for Ethiopians from 15 to 45 days, will also be stricter in checking all required documents, and will no longer issue multiple entry visas.
