Refugee agency chief warns that the number of Syrians leaving Lebanon is likely to rise

BRUSSELS (AP) — The head of the International Organization for Migration is warning that the number of Syrian refugees leaving Lebanon is likely to keep rising. Pressure is already building on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, which is seeing an increase in the number of migrants arriving, most of them Syrians. IOM Director General Amy Pope told the AP Tuesday that around 3,000 Syrians have left Lebanon since January. This compares to 4,500 for the whole of last year. Governments are also cutting aid to agencies for their work with Syrian refugees. Pope says that the number of Syrians leaving is “ticking up.” She says that “Lebanon is becoming a less hospitable place for them to stay.”