Dozens of arrivals

Migrants flock to Cyprus en masse

Dozens of migrants have once again arrived by sea in the small EU island republic of Cyprus within a few hours. The situation has been escalating since the beginning of the month and the reception and registration camps are overcrowded.

Within twelve hours, two boats had arrived with 73 and 37 people on board respectively, Cypriot radio (RIK) reported on Tuesday, citing the Ministry of the Interior. The majority of them are said to be from Syria and had set off from Lebanon. Two men were arrested as suspected smugglers.

1100 arrivals within a few days
According to the report, 19 boats with around 1,100 people on board have already arrived since the beginning of the month. According to government sources, the situation could deteriorate rapidly following the intensification of the war in the Middle East.

Camps completely overcrowded
The reception and registration camps on the island are overcrowded. In view of this situation, the government suspended the processing of asylum applications from Syrians indefinitely on April 14. Syrians arriving in Cyprus must remain in the registration camps for this long.

Most asylum applications in the EU
More than 4,000 migrants and refugees have arrived in Cyprus since the beginning of the year. In the first quarter of 2023, however, there were only 78 people. This means that the island republic has by far the highest number of asylum applications in the EU in relation to its population.