2023-06-23 14:05:07
Numerous refugees got into distress off Cyprus and were picked up by the Cypriot coast guard on Thursday. According to their own statements, the rescued are Syrians. Eleven children were also on board.
The Cypriot coast guard picked up 45 refugees from two boats east of the EU island republic on Thursday evening. The people had come from Syria, reported the state broadcaster (RIK), citing the coast guard. The migrants said they had left the Syrian port of Tartus. Among them were eleven children.
According to the Coast Guard, the authorities had already rescued 37 people in distress southeast of the island on Wednesday. Two of those rescued were arrested as suspected smugglers, state radio reported.
Smuggling gangs are increasingly trying to bring migrants to Europe from countries in the east of the Mediterranean, such as Lebanon or Syria.
Dangerous route
It is a dangerous journey for the migrants, as the route passes the Greek island of Crete south of Cyprus. On the long trips there is always damage to the engine or the boats leak.
Just last week there was a major accident off the Greek coast: hundreds of migrants drowned when a completely overcrowded fishing boat went down regarding 50 nautical miles off the Greek coast. Some people pay several thousand euros for the dangerous crossing – according to migrants, between 3,000 and 5,000 per person.
According to EU statistics, Cyprus has by far the highest number of asylum applications per year in relation to the size of the population. The government in Nicosia therefore repeatedly asked for help from the EU.
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