Cyprus, Nicosia

Off the coast of Cyprus, four more boats with migrants have been spotted.

05.04.2024 / 18:38
News Category

On Friday, off the coast of Cape Greco, four more boats with illegal migrants were spotted. The first vessel washed ashore at the “Golden Coast” fishing shelter in Protaras.

On board the boat were 22 people - 15 men, three women, and four unaccompanied minors. The whereabouts and fate of the other three boats are currently unknown.

Since last weekend, more than 800 illegal migrants have arrived in Cyprus from Lebanon.

As housing reserves for migrants in Cyprus have already been depleted, the government has stated that if migrant flows are not stopped, military camps in the Nicosia area may be used for their accommodation.

Currently, there are over 1,300 people at the Pournara reception center. Authorities fear that if more migrants arrive, the facility may become overcrowded.

“We cannot allow this situation to continue, let alone cope with a new wave of illegal migrants,” said House of Representatives President Annita Demetriou during a meeting with Lebanese Ambassador Claude El Hajal on Thursday.

Recall that it was previously reported that Cyprus is in a “state of crisis” due to the increasing number of migrants arriving on the island. The President of the country, Nicos Anastasiades, has already appealed to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to intervene in the situation.

On Monday, the head of state will fly to Lebanon to personally discuss with the authorities of the country a way out of the current crisis.

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