EUROPE-MIGRANTS/LEBANON-CAMERON MORE Britain's Cameron meets Lebanese counterpart Salam

Record ID: 139899

  • Title: EUROPE-MIGRANTS/LEBANON-CAMERON MORE Britain's Cameron meets Lebanese counterpart Salam
  • Date: 14th September 2015
  • Summary: BEIRUT, LEBANON (SEPTEMBER 14, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF GRAND SERAIL, THE GOVERNMENT HEADQUARTERS, IN CENTRAL BEIRUT VARIOUS OF LEBANESE FLAG FLYING ON TOP OF BUILDING VARIOUS OF BRITISH PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON SHAKING HANDS WITH LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER TAMMAM SALAM OFFICIALS SITTING FOR MEETING CAMERON AND SALAM DURING MEETING CAMERON DURING MEETING SALAM DURING MEETING CAMERON AND SALAM DURING MEETING CAMERON AND SALAM WALKING INTO HALL TO GIVE NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER, TAMMAM SALAM, SAYING: "We are convinced that the refugee crisis, which has reached its crux in Europe today, is a phenomenon that cannot come to a halt unless we find a political solution to put an end to the war in Syria." CAMERON AND SALAM DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, DAVID CAMERON, SAYING: "This morning I was in the Bekaa Valley seeing for myself that hospitality, and meeting with some of the Syrian refugees that we will resettle in the United Kingdom. I recognise that the humanitarian crisis in Syria is putting huge pressure on your country, on public services, on schools, on housing. That is why the United Kingdom has provided around 300 million pounds in assistance for Lebanon since the crisis began, including food, shelter and medical support. And we will ensure that 29 million of our latest 100 million pound commitment is spent right here in Lebanon helping further to shoulder the burden." LEBANESE AND BRITISH FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON SAYING: "We also discussed the threat both of our countries face from Islamist extremism and what more we can do to work together to defeat this threat. Of course that threat is more acute here with ISIL-held territory just 60 miles from your border, and that is why the UK is determined to do all we can to help strengthen the security of Lebanon." CAMERON AND SALAM SHAKING HANDS AFTER NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERON AND SALAM LEAVING HALL LEBANESE AND BRITISH FLAGS AT GRAND SERAIL ENTRANCE GRAND SERAIL ENTRANCE
  • Embargoed: 29th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Lebanon
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAA27MGKOJUKNXB2C00ZMDJDJTJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: British Prime Minister David Cameron visited Syrian refugees in Lebanon on Monday (September 14), a week after pledging that Britain would take in up to 20,000 people who are currently in camps after fleeing Syria's civil war.
    Cameron went to one of the informal tented settlements in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, where many live without easy access to electricity and clean water.
    After the visit, he met with the Lebanese Prime Minister in Beirut to discuss the Syrian refugee crisis, before holding a news conference.
    Since 2011, the conflict in Syria has driven more than 4 million people into refugee camps in neighbouring countries including Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, and many others towards Europe.
    "We are convinced that the refugee crisis, which has reached its crux in Europe today, is a phenomenon that cannot come to a halt unless we find a political solution to put an end to the war in Syria," Lebanon's Prime Minister Tammam Salam said during a joint news conference on Monday.
    Lebanon, which currently hosts well over a million Syrians, and where one person in every four is a refugee, has called on other countries to share the burden. While the Prime Minister has publicly stated that the country is hosting around 1.5 million refugees, the United Nations refugee agency puts the figure at around 1.1 million.
    Salam said Lebanon was struggling to cope with the influx from its much larger neighbour, especially given that some international aid had been cut.
    Cameron acknowledged the pressure the humanitarian crisis in Syria is putting on Lebanon, and declared Britain's ongoing support for the country.
    "The United Kingdom has provided around 300 million pounds in assistance for Lebanon since the crisis began, including food, shelter and medical support. And we will ensure that 29 million of our latest 100 million pound commitment is spent right here in Lebanon helping further to shoulder the burden."
    Cameron is also under pressure from his European counterparts to take in far more refugees to help with the wider migrant crisis, which has seen hundreds of thousands of people trek from Greece via the Balkans and Hungary towards western Europe.
    The crisis in Europe has prompted some leaders to announce a greater refugee intake. Germany says it expects an estimated 800,000 people to arrive this year, while Britain has said it will take in 20,000 Syrians over the next five years.
    The British Prime Minister has said Britain will resettle people directly from the camps to discourage refugees from embarking on the often dangerous journey to mainland Europe.
    Also on the agenda at Monday's meeting was the war on terror.
    "We also discussed the threat both of our countries face from Islamist extremism and what more we can do to work together to defeat this threat. Of course that threat is more acute here with ISIL-held territory just 60 miles from your border," Cameron said, referring to land held by Islamic State militants in Syria.
    Cameron said Britain pledged to continue to "help strengthen the security of Lebanon."
    The war in Syria has killed 250,000 people and forced half of all Syrians from their homes, creating the worst refugee crisis since World War Two.
    Another 7.6 million people are displaced within the country.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register