Over 100 Syrian refugees left Lebanon to be relocated in Germany, the UN said Wednesday.
A source at Beirut airport told The Daily Star that a group of 107 Syrian refugees arrived at the facility Wednesday morning and left on a charter flight for Hanover, Germany, at midday.
It said the first batch was part of the German Humanitarian Admissions Program (HAP) to “temporarily welcome approximately 4,000 Syrian refugees until they are able to return home in safety and dignity or find other durable solutions.”
“This is a very welcome initiative to help ease some of the pressure that Lebanon currently faces as a result of the massive influx of Syrian refugees,” said UNHCR Assistant Representative for Protection in Lebanon, Veronique Robert.
“Not only will it provide 4,000 vulnerable Syrian refugees with better living conditions and improved access to services, but is a first step towards alleviating the burden on Lebanon - a small country now hosting over 730,000 refugees from Syria,” he added.
“Once they arrive in Hanover they will proceed to a reception centre in Friedland near Hanover, where they will participate in an extended cultural orientation programme to help them integrate within their communities and find jobs,” the UNHCR statement said.
It said 25 International Organization for Migration (IOM) charter flights will relocate remaining 3,900 eligible refugees identified by UNHCR and approved by the German government throughout the months to come.
The next flight is scheduled to depart Beirut in early October.
