Lebanon’s economic crisis endures, as does the EU’s ‘fear’ of refugees

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, centre, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, left, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meet at the government palace in Beirut on May 2, 2024 [Hassan Ammar/AP Photo]

Lebanon and the Lebanese people are still suffering a debilitating economic crisis that has gripped the country since 2019.

The pound has plummeted to less than 10 percent of its value before the crisis, savings have disappeared both in terms of exchange rates and actual deposits as banks announce they have no cash to release, and more and more people worry about simply staying alive.