Dozens of migrants killed as boat sinks off Syrian coast

Lebanon hosts an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees, and almost 14,000 from other countries, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It hosts the largest number of refugees per capita in the world.

However, the country is facing a severe economic crisis, fuelled by Covid-19 and the 2020 Beirut port explosion, with more than 80% of the population struggling to afford food and medicine.

The situation is having a severe impact on the country’s migrant population, many of whom are choosing to flee elsewhere, including to Europe.

Last year, Lebanon saw a major spike in the number of migrants using its shores to travel to Europe. According to UN figures, departures from the country nearly doubled in 2021 from 2020.

And this year crossings have risen by more than 70% compared with the same time last year, international observers said.

Earlier this month, six people, including children, were killed when a boat carrying migrants from Lebanon to Europe sank off the coast of Turkey. The country’s coast guard said 73 migrants from four boats had been rescued.