Evacuation of Finns from Lebanon in full swing
Press Release 244/2006
17.7.2006
The evacuation from Lebanon of Finns, and of citizens of other EU Member States, has begun through both national measures and EU cooperation. Action to bring Finns back to Finland is now in full swing. On the basis of information received from the Finnish Embassy in Damascus, Syria, in view of the prevailing circumstances Finns are coping well.
Data currently available indicates that there are about 100–200 Finns who live permanently in Lebanon, as well as about 40 tourists who are now in the country. A foreign service official based at the Finnish Embassy in Damascus has been sent to Beirut. A dispatch of consular officers sent by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has already arrived at Larnaca, Cyprus; the following dispatches of consular officers are leaving for Beirut and Damascus.
Finns are being evacuated both by sea from Beirut to Larnaca, Cyprus and by coach, organised by the State of Finland, from Beirut to Damascus, Syria. The transports, both by sea and by coach, are starting today. The number of Finns ready to leave by coach has increased and is now approximately 40 people, though some of them are still hesitant about leaving. About ten Finns intend to follow the coach transport in their own motor vehicles. There are several flights from Damascus to Europe late Monday night; for instance, flights to Stockholm and Copenhagen. Today a French ship is leaving Beirut with the aim of making three return trips between Lebanon and Cyprus. Current information indicates that some 20 Finns will be transported on the trips made by this ship. In addition, plans for transports by Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Italian ships are now being made.
Some Finnish citizens born in Lebanon intend to remain in Lebanon while others are willing to leave only after the situation has calmed down completely. Evacuation arrangements so far have proceeded without problems although coach transports are slow now that the main routes have been cut by Israeli bombs and roads are clogged with traffic.
Plans to evacuate EU citizens are also on the agenda of the meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council of the EU Foreign Ministers on Monday 17 July in Brussels. The Foreign Ministers will hear a report by Javier Solana, the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, on the results of his weekend trip to the Middle East.
Additional information: about the general situation, Christian Sundgren, Deputy Director General, Department for Communication and Culture, mobile tel. +358 40 551 6571; and about consular issues Irma Ertman, Director General of the Legal Department, tel. +358 9 1605 5700