EU announces 1 billion euros in aid for Lebanon amid a surge in irregular migration

BEIRUT (AP) — The European Union announced Thursday an aid package for Lebanon of 1 billion euros — about $1.06 billion — much of which will go to boost border control to halt the flow of asylum seekers and migrants from the small, crisis-wracked country across the Mediterranean Sea to Cyprus...

A massive Powerball win draws attention to a little-known immigrant culture in the US

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Cheng “Charlie” Saephan wore a broad smile and a bright blue sash emblazoned with the words “Iu-Mien USA” as he hoisted an oversized check for $1.3 billion above his head. The 46-year-old immigrant's luck in winning an enormous Powerball jackpot in...

A man who failed to get asylum in the UK is said to have voluntarily flown to Rwanda

KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — An unsuccessful asylum-seeker in the U.K. has voluntarily arrived in Rwanda, an official said, as the British government rounded up the first group of migrants it expects to fly to Kigali this summer. The man, whose nationality was not disclosed, did not...

Migration agency chief warns that even more Syrians will leave Lebanon as donors cut back on aid

BRUSSELS (AP) — The number of Syrian refugees leaving Lebanon is likely to keep rising as donors cut back on aid, the head of the U.N.'s migration agency warned Tuesday, as pressure builds over their arrival on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Amy Pope, director general of the...

Asylum seeker who killed British retiree says he was seeking revenge for the people of Gaza

LONDON (AP) — An asylum seeker from Morocco who went on a vicious rampage following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that triggered the Israel-Hamas war was convicted Thursday of murder for stabbing a 70-year-old man in the streets of an English seaside town. Ahmed Alid, 45, stabbed...

Auditors say it's hard to tell how Turkey is using EU refugee funds. Some officials aren't helpful

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union auditors said on Wednesday that they are unable to establish whether some of the billions of euros the bloc has given to Turkey to help it cope with Syrian refugees is actually having any impact. Under a deal concluded between EU leaders and Turkey in...

Key recommendations for strengthening the neutrality of the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees

An independent panel that reviewed the neutrality of the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees, after Israel alleged that a dozen of its employees in Gaza had participated in Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks, released its report on Monday. Here are some of its key recommendations to...

Review of UN agency helping Palestinian refugees found Israel did not express concern about staff

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — An independent review of the neutrality of the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees found that Israel never expressed concern about anyone on the staff lists it has received annually since 2011. The review was carried out after Israel alleged that a dozen employees of...

Israel didn't air worries over staff lists of UN agency for Palestinian refugees that it's gotten for years, review says

UN refugee agency tells Cyprus to stick to the law in its efforts at sea to thwart refugee boats

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The United Nations' refugee agency said Friday that Cypriot efforts at sea to stop numerous Syrian refugee-laden boats departing Lebanon from reaching the European Union-member island nation mustn’t contravene international human rights laws or put passengers at risk. ...