The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has expressed concern that conflict in the Middle East could lead to additional migration into the bloc. Ahead of a key EU summit later in the week, she stressed that migration movements borne out of conflicts needed to be managed better across the bloc.
In a report prepared for the upcoming EU summit on Thursday (October 17), the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen wrote that in the past few weeks, more than one million people had been displaced, and that more could suffer a similar fate.
She stressed that emergency plans were needed for both the European Union and for its international partners, should a scenario play out in which people sought safety further west.
Von der Leyen pointed out that more funds were needed to provide humanitarian aid to the affected populations, highlighting that the EU had recently announced an additional 30 million euros for this year, bringing the EU's total aid bill to the Middle East to over 100 million euros.
The EU chief noted, however, that a significant number of people fleeing the current situation in Lebanon in particular had recently moved into neighboring Syria, and that she expected refugee movements to remain contained to that area for the time being.
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Monitoring the situation in Cyprus
In the last few years, many migrants have crossed on boats from Lebanon to nearby EU member Cyprus to lodge asylum claims there. However, authorities on the island nation in the Mediterranean say they are at full capacity, repeatedly underlining that they have the highest per-capita rate of migrants and refugees throughout the entire bloc. At one point, the country even said it was closing its borders to migrants.
During a recent visit to Cyprus, von der Leyen acknowledged the importance of the island nation on the eastern borders of the European Union.
"The Mediterranean has long been a key gateway to three continents and a frontline for many geopolitical challenges," she said in a post on X, adding that Cyprus had always served as "a bridge between the EU and our neighbors in the Middle East."
Regional conflict spreading
The latest conflict centered in Gaza, which began on October 7 last year, when the Palestinian militant organization Hamas attacked Israel, resulting in over 1,200 deaths and over 250 abductions, has now spilled in to neighboring Lebanon.
Recently the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have been bombarding targets in Lebanon. The Israeli government say they are targeting the local militia there, affiliated to the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group. Their strikes followed an increase in attacks emanating from Hezbollah militia groups on northern Israel. Many of these strikes have so far been averted, but one this week resulted in four military casualties and several injured (including civilians) after Hezbollah launched a drone attack on an Israeli military base.
Israeli strikes in Lebanon have also resulted in numerous casualties and deaths among not just targeted militants but the civilian population too.
Analysts fear that not only could these reciprocal strikes escalate into a full conflict, but could also eventually draw in Iran and potentially other Middle East actors too.
The EU has meanwhile called for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza, referring to the situation in the region as a "conflagration" (indicating that it is already equivalent to an extensive fire that destroys land and property).
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Conflicts in every direction
Von der Leyen also pointed out that Iran was not only using Hezbollah as a proxy to destabilize the Middle East but was also supporting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, actively aiding in creating another conflict to Europe's East.
A conflict that in its turn has also resulted in an increase in the number of migrants attempting to enter the EU, via the so-called Belarus route, as well as directly through Russia's borders with countries like Finland.
At the upcoming EU summit, immigration and migration in general are expected to be the main talking points, with several crises from the Middle East to Ukraine to Sudan displacing people at the same time.
The European Commission President wants to make sure that Europe is fully prepared to manage any increase in the numbers of migrants who might be hoping to reach the bloc in the future.
with dpa/AFP