Why wretched Lebanese are fleeing across the sea
Most people in Lebanon say they want to live abroad
Last August 31-year-old Nader Yusuf embarked with 410 other people on an eight-day sea crossing from Lebanon to Italy. His salary as a delivery driver, priced in Lebanese pounds, had plummeted in two years to barely 5% of its original value against the dollar, leaving him unable to afford his $100-a-month rent. He was promptly evicted, along with his pregnant wife and five children, two of whom were seriously ill.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Head west across the sea”
From the June 17th 2023 edition
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