Lebanese attempt to migrate to Europe as amid economic crisis

Ziad Hilweh knew his family might die on the way.

But the risk was worth it, he said, to reach the shores of Europe for a new start with his wife and three kids, away from the daily humiliation of life in Lebanon

The country's economic meltdown had destroyed him.

The currency crash meant that the value of his salary from working at a private security company went down from $650 to about $50 after the Lebanese pound lost more than 90% of its value in less than two years.

It reached the point the 22-year-old could no longer afford milk and diapers for his children.

But the young father's hopes of a better future were shattered last month, when the boat they were on board headed to Italy broke down in the Mediterranean Sea, hours after they set off from the outskirts of Lebanon's port city of Tripoli.

Along with dozens of other would-be migrants on the boat, they were towed back to shore by the navy after a terrifying attempt at escaping.

For years, Lebanon has been a host for refugees, mainly from Syria, but now it is a departure point.

Hundreds of Lebanese have tried to reach Europe this year on boats from their country's shores, spurred by a devastating economic crisis that has thrown two thirds of the population into poverty since October 2019.

It is not a route on the scale of the main sea path from Turkey to Greece used by many refugees and migrants.

But it is a startling shift as Lebanese join Iraqis, Afghans, Sudanese and other Middle Eastern nationalities in leaving their homelands.

Sea departures from Lebanon have increased starting in 2020, compared to previous years, said Lisa Abou Khaled, spokeswoman for the U.N. refugee agency.

According to UNHCR figures, more than 1,570 people embarked or attempted to embark from Lebanon between January and November, most heading for Cyprus.

The majority have been Syrians, but Abou Khaled said a notable number of Lebanese have joined them.

The country is witnessing a frightening convergence of multiple crises, including political instability, the coronavirus pandemic and a massive explosion at the capital's main port in August last year that have all added to the financial unraveling of the country.

Hilweh had been growing more desperate with each day.

For months he had been asking relatives and friends to help him financially.

While chatting with friends one night he heard that there were smugglers taking people to Europe, and that some have already made it there.

He consulted with his close friend, Bilal Moussa, and they both decided to give it a try after they were told it would cost $4,000 for an adult and $2,000 for a child.

Hilweh decided to take his wife and children, while Moussa planned to go alone and apply for family reunification once he settles in Europe.

Hilweh sold his apartment and his car and borrowed some from relatives.

He was still short, but the smuggler gave him a discount and took the $10,000 Hilweh had, instead of $14,000.

The smuggler told them to meet at a specific location near Tripoli's Abu Ali river, shortly before midnight on Friday November 19 and that 70 people would be on the boat.

At the location, they were put into a covered produce truck and driven to Qalamoun, just south of Tripoli.

There, at an abandoned resort, they boarded the wooden boat with their belongings.

They ran into trouble shortly after they sailed away from Tripoli.

A Lebanese navy ship approached the boat, ordering them through loudspeakers to turn back.

The captain ignored their calls and kept moving west.

Hilweh's wife and children were sitting near the engine, and when the boat flooded with water, thick smoke poured out.

His 3-month-old son Karim stopped breathing and almost suffocated, he said.

Eventually, the boat stabilized, and they kept moving west while the navy chased them.

Looking at a screen, the boat's captain shouted that they had left Lebanon's territorial waters. Immediately, the navy ship turned back.

"We were so happy. We have left Lebanon. We had crossed the line of humiliation," Hilweh recounted.

He celebrated by hugging his wife and two daughters, Rana, 3, and Jana, 2.

Their relief was short-lived.

Shortly before sunrise, the water-logged engine gave out completely.

Stalled in the darkness and silence, the frightened passengers frantically called relatives in Lebanon to tell the military they needed help.

Hours later, the Lebanese navy finally arrived and towed the boat back.

"Once the boat broke everything became dark for me. I saw devastation in front of my eyes," Hilweh said.

Tripoli is Lebanon's most impoverished city.

Its mayor, Riad Yamak, said that last year, several people drowned off the coast of Tripoli while trying to reach Europe.

Last year, a boat taking migrants to Cyprus ran out of diesel and was stranded for eight days, during which at least six persons died.

The U.N. peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, rescued the rest and handed them over to Lebanese authorities after giving them first aid.