The head of the U.N.'s migration agency warned the number of Syrian refugees leaving Lebanon will likely continue rising as donors cut back on aid; many refugees are heading to Cyprus.

Refugees taken to detention centers by regime forces after deportation from Lebanon, says Syrian Network for Human Rights

According to the UNHCR in Lebanon, there has been a significant rise in departures by sea, with 59 boat movements recorded between January and mid-April, carrying a total of 3,191 passengers, compared to just three boat movements in the same period the previous year. Throughout 2023, there were 65 boat departures involving 3,927 passengers.

The European Union is providing Lebanon with a three-year €1 billion ($1.07 billion) package, mostly to help manage the country’s refugee population, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Thursday.

In early April, the murder of a Lebanese political figure, attributed to a Syrian gang, sparked a particularly violent wave of hostility against Syrian refugees. In response to the crisis, Lebanese municipalities have intensified their efforts.

Dozens of calls for deportation were issued in the country after the murder of a Christian political leader, blamed by the army on a 'Syrian gang.'

The head of the International Organization for Migration warns of an increase in Syrian refugees leaving Lebanon for Cyprus amid funding cuts.