MEPs visit #Lebanon to assess country's response to the #refugees crisis

The visit will include meetings with representatives of the Lebanese government and Parliament, relevant UN bodies, international and local non-governmental organisation, as well as relevant field visits. It is not the first time that MEPs from the civil liberties committee assess the refugees’ conditions in the field. They have previously visited Calais, Greece and Turkey.

Syrian crisis and its impact on neighbouring Lebanon

Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria 6.6 million people have been internally displaced while 4.8 million have been forced to flee to neighbouring countries. The Syrian crisis has become the world's largest humanitarian crisis since World War II.

Many searched for refuge in Lebanon. According to UNHCR in June 2016, Lebanon hosted 1,033,513 registered refugees, which is more or less the equivalent of the number of asylum applications by Syrian nationals received by 37 European countries between April 2011 and July 2016.

Lebanon

Lebanon has the largest number of refugees per capita: one out of four people is a refugee. In addition to hosting a million Syrian refugees, Lebanon also hosts 450,000 Palestine refugees, the equivalent to 10% of the total population.

Resettling refugees

Europe and the world have been faced with a significant influx of migrants. As the EU searches for the best approach to deal with this unprecedented increase in migration, MEPs press for a comprehensive and fair asylum system.