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
Hundreds of people have attempted the dangerous crossing from Lebanon to Cyprus via the Mediterranean in recent months, according to Save the Children. The organization said the number of crossings increased significantly in September.
Ministers representing Cyprus and Lebanon recently reaffirmed a deal to intercept migrant boats attempting to reach Cyprus, making things de facto more difficult for those who hope to seek asylum in the country. Cyprus says its reception centers are full to capacity, and the country has been criticized for its treatment of migrants by NGOs.
According to a new report by Human Rights Watch, the Cypriot authorities have engaged in a series of pushbacks of migrants coming from Lebanon. The report focuses on several boats which arrived in August and September 2020 carrying more than 200 migrants, and is based on interviews with 15 Lebanese and Syrian nationals.
Cyprus has engaged in offshore pushbacks as several boats carrying displaced people have approached in recent weeks. Returning people to countries where they could face persecution is prohibited by international law.
The Cypriot authorities have said they are "alarmed" after a total of five migrant boats arrived on or near their shores from Syria and Lebanon in the space of 48 hours. The boats were carrying a total of 183 migrants.