Overlapping crises in Lebanon fuel a new
migration to Cyprus
‘I don’t want to let my children live the same
experiences.’
Abby Sewell
Journalist
based in Beirut, where she covers refugee and social issues, travel, politics
and culture.
Migrants
from Lebanon at a processing centre at Kokkinotrimithia, CyprusMigrants from
Lebanon at a processing centre at Kokkinotrimithia, Cyprus, in 2015. An
economic collapse, compounded by coronavirus and the impact of the recent port
explosion in Beirut, are pushing more more and more people to migrate. (Yiannis
Kourtoglou/REUTERS)
Driven by
increasingly desperate economic circumstances and security concerns in the wake
of last month’s Beirut port explosion, a growing number of people are boarding
smugglers’ boats in Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli bound for Cyprus, an EU
member state around 160 kilometres away by sea.
The uptick
was thrown into sharp relief on 14 September when a boat packed with 37 people
was found adrift off the coast of Lebanon and rescued by the marine task force
of UNIFIL, a UN peacekeeping mission that has operated in the country since
1978. At least six people from the boat died, including two children, and six
are missing at sea.
Between the
start of July and 14 September, at least 21 boats left Lebanon for Cyprus,
according to statistics provided by the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR. This
compares to 17 in the whole of 2019. The majority of this year’s trips have
happened since 29 August.
Overall,
more than 52,000 asylum seekers and migrants have crossed the Mediterranean so
far this year, and compared to Libya, Tunisia, and Turkey – where most of these
boat journeys originate – departures from Lebanon are still low. But given the
deteriorating situation in the county and the sudden increase in numbers, the
attempted crossings represent a significant new trend.
Map of
Lebanon and CyprusAbigail Geiger/TNH
Fishermen
at the harbour in the Tripoli suburb of Al Mina told The New Humanitarian that
groups of would-be migrants have been leaving in recent weeks on fishing
vessels to the small island of Rankin off the coast, under the pretense of
going for a day’s swimming outing. They then wait on the island to be picked up
and taken onward, normally to Cyprus.
Lebanese
politicians have periodically used the threat of a wave of refugees heading for
Europe to coax more funds from international donors. Former foreign minister
Gebran Bassil told French President Emmanuel Macron after the 4 August port
explosion that “those whom we welcome generously, may take the escape route
towards you in the event of the disintegration of Lebanon.”
The vast
majority of those trying to reach Cyprus – many hope to continue on to Germany
or other countries in mainland Europe – have been Syrian refugees, whose
situation in Lebanon was precarious long before its descent into full-on
financial and political meltdown over the past year.
Syrians are
still the largest group, but as the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the
multiple crises facing Lebanon – the country recorded a record 1,006 COVID-19
cases on 20 September, precipitating calls for a new lockdown – Lebanese
residents of Tripoli told The New Humanitarian that an increasing number of
Lebanese citizens are attempting, or considering, the sea route.
“How many
people are thinking about it? All of us, without exception,” Mohammed al-Jindi,
a 32-year-old father of two who manages a mobile phone shop in Tripoli, said of
people he knows in the city.
The
Lebanese lira, officially pegged to the dollar at a rate of about 1,500, has
lost 80 percent of its value over the past year. Prices of many basic goods
have skyrocketed, and more than half of the population is now estimated to be
living in poverty. The port explosion – which destroyed some 15,000 metric
tonnes of wheat and displaced as many as 300,000 families, at least temporarily
– has compounded fears about worsening poverty and food insecurity.
Adding to
the uncertainty, it has been nearly a year since the outbreak of a protest
movement calling for the ouster of Lebanon’s long-ruling political class,
blamed for much of the country’s dysfunction, including the port explosion. The
economic and political turbulence has led to fears about insecurity, wielded as
a threat by some political parties. These fears were underscored by violent
clashes in Beirut’s suburbs that left two dead at the end of August.
“In
desperate situations, whether in search of safety, protection, or basic
survival, people will move, whatever the danger,” Mireille Girard, UNHCR
representative in Lebanon, said in a statement following the 14 September
incident. “Addressing the reasons of these desperate journeys and the swift
collective rescue of people distressed at sea are key.”
‘It’s the
only choice’
Al-Jindi is
planning to take the sea route himself and bring his family later. But so far
he has been unable to scrape together the approximately $1,000 required by
smugglers – the ones he has contacted insist on being paid in scarce US
dollars, not Lebanese lira. The currency crisis means al-Jindi’s monthly salary
of 900,000 Lebanese lira, previously worth $600, is now worth only around $120.
The port
explosion in Beirut added insecurity to al-Jindi’s list of worries. He lives in
the neighbourhood of Bab al Tabbaneh – which has sporadically clashed for years
with the adjacent neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen – and fears a return of the
conflict.
“I don’t
want to let my children live the same experiences… the sound of explosions, the
sound of shooting,” al-Jindi said. After the port explosion, he added, “1,000
percent, now I have a greater desire to leave.”
Paying for
a smuggler’s services is beyond the reach of many Lebanese. But members of the
country’s shrinking middle class, frustrated with a lack of opportunities, are
also contemplating the Mediterranean journey.
“I don’t
want to let my children live the same experiences… the sound of explosions, the
sound of shooting.”
Educated
young people are more likely to apply for emigration through legal routes.
According
to Lebanese research firm Information International, about 66,800 Lebanese
emigrated in 2019, an increase from the previous year. The firm also reported a
36 percent increase in departures from the Beirut airport after the explosion.
But with
COVID-19 travel restrictions and the general trend of tightening borders around
the world, some Lebanese are also turning to the sea.
Unable to
find steady work since he graduated from university with a degree in IT two
years ago, 22-year-old Mohammed Ahmad had applied for a visa to Canada, without
success, before deciding to take his chances on the sea route. Before the port
explosion, Ahmad had already struck a deal with a purported smuggler to take
him to Cyprus and then Greece for 10 million Lebanese lira (the equivalent of
around $1,200 at the black exchange market rate). The explosion has only
strengthened his resolve.
“Before,
you could think, ‘Maybe the dollar will go down, maybe the situation will get
better,’” said Ahmad. “Now, you can’t think that way. We know how the situation
is.”
Mustapha
Masri, 21, a fourth-year accounting student at Lebanese University, said he
hadn’t planned on leaving Lebanon, “but year after year the situation got
worse.” Like Ahmad, Masri first tried emigrating legally, but without success.
A few
months ago, acquaintances referred him to a smuggler. He began selling his
belongings to raise the funds for the trip, beginning with his laptop, which he
traded for a cheaper one. Even his parents were willing to sell valuables to
help him, Masri said.
“In the
beginning, they were against it, but after Australia and Germany denied me,
they agreed,” Masri said. “It’s the only choice.”
Increasing
movement
The past
two months have shown a significant uptick in crossings.
According
to UNHCR statistics, in all of 2019, only eight boats from Lebanon arrived in
Cyprus, seven were intercepted by Lebanese authorities before getting to the
open sea, and two went missing at sea.
In 2020,
three boats are known to have left Lebanon for Cyprus in July, followed by 16
in the weeks between 29 August and 9 September, said UNHCR spokeswoman Lisa
Abou Khaled. Eight of those boats were confirmed to have reached Cyprus and
another two were reported to have arrived but could not be verified, she said.
Another five were intercepted by Lebanese authorities and four were pushed back
by Cypriot authorities before they reached the island and returned to Lebanon.
“From our
conversations with the individuals, we understand that the majority tried to
leave Lebanon because of their dire socio-economic situation and struggle to
survive, and that a couple of families left because of the impact of the
blast,” Abou Khaled said.
The
pushbacks by Cypriot authorities have raised concerns among refugee rights
advocates, who allege that Cyprus is violating the principle of
non-refoulement, which states that refugees and asylum seekers should not be
forcibly returned to a country where they might face persecution.
Loizos
Michael, spokesman for the Cypriot Ministry of Interior, said of the arriving
migrants: “At this point we can only confirm the increase in boats arriving in
Cyprus…The Cypriot government is in close cooperation with the Lebanese
authorities and within this framework are trying to respond to the issue.”
In 2002,
Lebanon and Cyprus signed a bilateral agreement to cooperate in combating
organised crime, including illegal immigration and human trafficking.
Peter Stano,
a spokesman for the European Union, said that the EU Commission takes
allegations of pushbacks “very seriously”, adding, “It is essential… that
fundamental rights, and EU law more broadly, is fully respected.”
Worth the
risk?
The sea
route to Cyprus is often deadly, as the 14 September incident underscored. To
increase their earnings, smugglers pack small vessels beyond their capacity.
More than 70 people have died or gone missing in 2020 on the Eastern
Mediterranean sea route – which includes boats bound for Cyprus and Greece – up
from 59 all of last year.
Those who
TNH spoke to who were contemplating the crossing said they were aware of the
dangers but they still considered it worth the risk to attempt the journey.
“I don’t
believe all the talk that life there is like paradise.”
“There are
a lot of people who have gone and arrived, so I don’t want to think from the
perspective that I might not arrive,” said Ahmad, the 22-year-old IT graduate.
He was sanguine too about what he might find if he makes it to Europe. “I don’t
believe all the talk that life there is like paradise and so on, but I’ll go
and see,” he said.
But the
plans of both Ahmad and Masri hit a glitch.
The two
young men – who do not know each other – had been expecting to travel last
month. Both had paid a percentage of the agreed-upon fee to the purported
smuggler as a deposit, the equivalent of about $100. In both cases, soon after
they paid, the smuggler disappeared. When they tried contacting him, they found
his line had been disconnected.
Still, they
haven’t given up.
“If I found
someone else, I would go – 100 percent,” Masri said. “Anything is better
than here.”
ase/er/ag
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