Lebanese troops have foiled an attempt to smuggle dozens of Syrian migrants to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, according to the military. There have been numerous attempts over the past year to smuggle migrants to EU member Cyprus, some of them deadly.
The EU home affairs commissioner said Turkey should stick to a 2016 deal that would see Ankara take back failed asylum seekers from Greek islands. EU officials are set to travel to Turkey for talks next week.
Ministers from Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain have met in Athens to call for changes to the EU's pact on migration and asylum. They pushed for an EU-wide repatriation mechanism.
The Council of Europe, Europe’s human rights watchdog, has expressed concern over the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers in Cyprus. The Mediterranean island has faced a sharp rise in irregular migrant arrivals in recent years.
The government of Cyprus is building a barrier to prevent migrants and refugees from crossing over from the northern, Turkish Cypriot part of the island. The southern, Greek-administered part of Cyprus is part of the European Union.
The Cypriot government has lashed out at Turkey, saying it was indirectly involved in helping create a new migration route that "disproportionally burdened" Cyprus. The island nation and EU member state has had the bloc’s highest percentage of asylum seekers for several years.
Asylum seekers in the Pournara camp in Cyprus say it is overcrowded and feels "like a prison." Pandemic restrictions have made the conditions worse, causing friction between groups of migrants.
25 migrants sustained "minor injuries" after a large fight broke out in an overcrowded migrant camp near the Cypriot capital Nicosia on Tuesday. The fights were reportedly between migrants from Syria and several different African countries.
Ibrahim Kamara left The Gambia and arrived in Cyprus in 2018. Although he didn’t know where Cyprus was, or really intend to land there, he has made the best of his situation. Today he has found happiness and a way to live in peace on the Mediterranean island that has become his new home. InfoMigrants caught up with him by telephone.
Authorities in Cyprus say they have arrested two Turkish citizens for trying to smuggle a group of Syrian migrants onto the island. The 13 migrants – including a newborn baby – were to be transferred to a reception center.
Early Monday morning a boat with 21 migrants was intercepted by police off Cyprus. It was the third group of migrants who arrived on the island state from Turkey within a few days.
Listen to DW's World in Progress episode featuring the following topics: Trieste refugees: With winter approaching, many irregular migrants remain stuck on the Italy/Slovenia border -- Lebanon: More migrants attempt to cross the Mediterranean to Cyprus -- Interview: Why migrants less welcome in the EU -- Armenian Diaspora concerned about Nagorno-Karabakch conflict