EU leader Ursula von der Leyen has announced $1 billion in aid to Lebanon during a visit to the crisis-hit country and urged it to tackle illegal migration to the bloc.
The European Union has already agreed deals with Egypt, Tunisia, Mauritania and other countries aimed at helping stem flows of irregular migrants.
The European Commission president said the aid was designed to strengthen basic services such as education and health in the country mired in a severe economic crisis.
The bloc will also support the Lebanese army, with the aid “mainly focused on providing equipment and training for border management”, she said.
The EU Commission’s spokesman told reporters in Brussels that the aid will be disbursed “in grants”.
He said “736 million euros, will be to support Lebanon in response to the Syrian crisis”.
Von der Leyen said the EU was committed to maintaining legal pathways open to Europe and resettling refugees to the bloc.
Lebanon’s economy collapsed in late 2019, turning the country into a launchpad for migrants, with Lebanese joining Syrians and Palestinian refugees making perilous voyages bound for Europe.
Von der Leyen was accompanied by Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, who was on his second visit to Lebanon in less than a month.
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