On the eve of his arrival in Beirut, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides discussed immigration with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen yesterday, in light of the worsening immigration situation on the island. They addressed the management of the increasing flows from Lebanon and ways to halt this phenomenon with greater participation from the European Union. Recently, Cyprus has witnessed a steady increase in the number of Syrian migrants from Lebanon.
The Cypriot president is scheduled to be accompanied by the ministers of interior and foreign affairs, the head of the national guard, and other officials during his visit to Beirut today. "Nidaa al-Watan" learned from government sources that the Lebanese government has not received any official notification regarding the European Union's decision to halt all forms of support to Lebanon if stringent measures are not taken to stop illegal immigration from its shores towards Europe, specifically towards Cyprus.
Sources indicated that the discussions with the Cypriot president would cover several topics in a positive spirit, including the issue of maritime borders. Prime Minister Najib Mikati previously assured Cypriot authorities of "the commitment to maintaining the best relations and that we do not accept exporting the displaced persons crisis to them." Regarding the maritime borders, Mikati stated, "We are working to control them as much as possible."
Mikati urged the Cypriot president to raise the issue of pressuring the European Union to assist in the process of repatriating illegal migrants from Lebanon at the upcoming meeting of Mediterranean European countries, as reported by "Nidaa al-Watan."
