Cyprus president discusses Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon visit

On Monday, Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati and visiting Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides discussed the Syrian refugee crisis, Beirut said, as Nicosia pushes the Lebanese authorities to stem boat departures.

Cyprus says the Israel-Hamas war since October, which has triggered a flare-up on the Israel-Lebanon border, has weakened Lebanon's efforts to monitor its territorial waters and prevent migrant vessel departures, reporting a surge in Syrian arrivals.

Authorities in Lebanon, hit by a grinding economic crisis that has turned it into a migrant launchpad, hosts some two million Syrians, with 800,000 registered with the United Nations -- the world's highest number of refugees per capita.

In Beirut, Mikati and Christodoulides emphasized "the importance of finding a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the Syria displacement crisis," a statement from the Lebanese premier's office said.

"Lebanon's army and security forces are doing their best to stop illegal immigration," Mikati was quoted as saying in the statement.

"But this cannot be achieved without the return of those seeking safety to safe areas in Syria or securing their residency in third countries," he added.



AFP