As life in Cyprus grows increasingly difficult for many asylum seekers, the number of Syrians opting into the island’s “voluntary return” program is going up. So far this year, 114 Syrians have returned, compared to just around 30 in all of 2023.
A billion-euro EU aid package to Lebanon, in part to stem migration, caused an uproar in the country and triggered a crackdown on Syrian refugees that advocates warn will only push more to flee abroad
Hundreds of Syrians in Lebanon have been evicted, and thousands more face losing their homes, as the country cracks down on refugees. Some 1,306 Syrian households and individuals have been evicted so far in 2024, compared to 78 in 2023.
The number of Syrians making treacherous sea crossings to Cyprus has spiked, prompting the island nation to announce it will no longer process Syrian asylum applications. Many fleeing Lebanon and Syria are not deterred.
Intolerable conditions in Lebanon are pushing increasing numbers of Syrians to take to the sea. With all eyes on escalating violence in southern Lebanon, the number of Syrians leaving from the north over the past two months reached more than four times the number for the same period in 2022.
