Number of Migrants Stranded in Buffer Zone in Cyprus Reaches 86

The number of migrants stranded in the buffer zone in Cyprus has risen to 86 as new arrivals continue to enter the area.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the flow of people arriving at the "green line" without the possibility of seeking asylum is ongoing and shows no signs of decreasing.

Local media report that 13 more people arrived in the buffer zone on Tuesday, and another six arrived on Sunday.

Since mid-May, the Republic of Cyprus has denied asylum procedures to dozens of migrants who arrived in the buffer zone from the TRNC via Turkey.

The government has cited regulations related to the "green line," but this policy has faced criticism from human rights experts and has led to a dispute with the UN.

Currently, there are eight children in the buffer zone, including one unaccompanied minor.

Lambros Kaullas, Permanent Secretary of the Deputy Minister of Migration, told Cyprus Mail that the authorities are in continuous and open contact with the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and the UNHCR.

The EU Commission had previously emphasized the right of migrants to seek asylum for security reasons.

The government is now facing a lawsuit from 46 migrants, part of a larger group, who have been denied access to asylum procedures. They have been living in UN tents in the buffer zone for several weeks.