Spanish Authorities told AFP that 39 Lebanese individuals tried to seek asylum in Spain during a layover in El-Prat airport in Barcelona on Monday.
The 39 individuals, holders of Lebanese passports, are of Palestinian origins. They took their flight from Cairo, Egypt, in destination to Bolivia. Once they arrived at El-Prat airport, they refused to board their plane and asked for asylum in Spain.
The Spanish Authorities said that they are being taken care of. As of the time of writing, 29 of them have been approved for asylum, and the remaining 10 are being processed.
The Catalan Government Delegation stated that these Lebanese travelers had the option to continue their flight or stay in Spain. They weren’t forced to do either.
It was also clarified that the landing of that flight was expected, unlike a previous emergency landing on November 5th. Back then, 24 Moroccan travelers escaped from the airport and the emergency turned out to be fake.
The living conditions in Lebanon and its ongoing instability on many fronts have become so severe that many have been trying to leave.
Those who can’t afford to leave by lawful means, or don’t have foreign passports of countries they can go back to, are attempting risky and illegal ways to flee in hopes of a better life.
Illegal emigration has become an unfortunate phenomenon in Lebanon with some attempts ending in dangerous or even lethal situations, as occurred several times with “death boats.”
A recent attempt happened at the beginning of November when the Lebanese army caught people trying to travel illegally to Cyprus by boat.
With the Lebanon-Gulf Crisis adding pressure and uncertainty to an already wrecked country, more and more people in Lebanon are seeking the stability and safety of Europe and North America.
