A trilateral meeting took place at the Grand Serail in Beirut on May 2, 2024. It included the Lebanese Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen. 

During this meeting, Von der Leyen announced a commitment of €1 billion in aid to support Lebanon's socio-economic stability over three years. The EU’s financial support comes amidst a prolonged economic crisis that has drastically exacerbated the challenges faced by both Lebanese citizens and refugee communities. Nevertheless, this aid is contingent upon the Lebanese authority's cooperation in curbing irregular immigration to Europe. 

While some funds will support basic services, the majority is designated to aid Lebanon as a host nation for Syrian refugees. Assistance will thus be extended to the Lebanese Armed Forces and other security forces, such as equipment and training, to strengthen border management control and combat smuggling. 

While Von der Leyen emphasized the EU's commitment to supporting Lebanon in light of its accumulating challenges, it is evident that the EU's primary objective is to deter migration to Cyprus and the rest of Europe, under the pretext of supporting Lebanon and Syrian refugees. However, funding Lebanese security agencies could heighten insecurity for Syrian refugees, potentially compelling them to leave or face deportation to Syria while the conditions for a safe, dignified, and voluntary return are yet to be met. On May 15, Mikati stressed that his government will deport all “illegal” residents to their countries in coordination with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This raises doubts about the effectiveness of the EU's strategy, as strengthening security agencies solely for the purpose of border management control might drive more Syrians to seek refuge in Europe. 

Moreover, EU financial support to Lebanon is not a new development, as the Union has provided the country with over €3 billion since 2011, €2.6 billion of which was intended to support Syrian refugees and Lebanon’s host communities. Therefore, the recent allocation of €1 billion from 2024 to 2027 constitutes a continuation of that support, albeit with additional conditions, with the ultimate goal of controlling migration to Europe. 

For over five years, the EU has reiterated that aid to Lebanon will depend on substantial political reforms, which Lebanese officials have failed to implement due to a leadership stalemate. Through this latest round of funding, the EU has once again prioritized its migration imperatives at the expense of urgently needed economic and structural reforms. Without a comprehensive strategy addressing the underlying causes pushing people to flee to Europe, the number of people resorting to irregular migration will likely continue increasing. 

In line with the above, the Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH): 

  • Emphasizes the critical need for the EU to establish conditions for its support that directly addresses the urgent internal reforms required in Lebanon 

  • Stresses that any form of aid to Lebanon must prioritize efficiency and transparency, while simultaneously combatting corruption and ensuring that resources are effectively utilized for those in need 

  • Urges the EU to refrain from providing aid that would make it complicit in forced returns to Syria 

  • Urges the EU to expand legal pathways for Syrian refugees in Lebanon to be resettled in Europe, providing them with safe and lawful migration options 

  • Stresses that any form of assistance provided to Lebanese security agencies must be monitored to ensure they are not committing human rights violations 

  • Calls upon Lebanon and the EU to uphold their commitments under international law and refrain from forcibly repatriating refugees to Syria until the conditions for safe, voluntary, and dignified returns are in place 

  • Calls upon Cyprus and the EU to halt pushbacks of refugees to Lebanon and revoke Cyprus’s decision to suspend asylum procedures for Syrians 

  • Urge the Lebanese government to fulfill its responsibilities and collaborate with human rights organizations in the country to develop a comprehensive plan for managing the refugee crisis