Cyprus suspends asylum applications for Syrians as arrivals rise
8 months, 1 week ago

Cyprus suspends asylum applications for Syrians as arrivals rise

Al Jazeera  

More than 1,000 people have arrived in Cyprus on boats from Lebanon this month amid deepening tensions in the Middle East. Cyprus has suspended the processing of asylum applications from Syrians following a sharp increase in arrivals this month, authorities say. Lebanon, coping with a crippling economic crisis since 2019, hosts some 805,000 Syrian refugees registered with the United Nations, of which 90 percent live in poverty, the UN agency says. Cypriot Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou last week visited Denmark, Czechia and Greece to drum up support for a push to get the EU to declare parts of Syria as safe.

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History of this topic

Australians land in Cyprus relieved to be out of Lebanon but concerned for those left behind
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Australians land in Cyprus relieved to be out of Lebanon but concerned for those left behind

ABC  

Hundreds of Australians are now in Cyprus, awaiting onward flights to Sydney, after fleeing the worsening conflict in Lebanon. She lives in Lebanon but has two daughters in Australia and said she was "relieved" to be going to them. "We realise it's a very stressful time for Australians and their families in Lebanon and we've been working to assist those …

Lebanese officials work to maintain friendly relations with Cyprus following Hezbollah threats
6 months ago

Lebanese officials work to maintain friendly relations with Cyprus following Hezbollah threats

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — Lebanese government officials worked Thursday to maintain friendly relations with Cyprus a day after the militant Hezbollah group threatened to attack the Mediterranean island if it allows Israel to use its territories to attack Lebanon. Nasrallah said his group has information that the Israel’s military is conducting maneuvers in Cyprus in mountainous areas similar to those of Lebanon …

Cyprus president says a buffer zone splitting the island won’t become another migrant route
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Cyprus president says a buffer zone splitting the island won’t become another migrant route

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — The president of Cyprus said Tuesday that he won’t “open another route” for irregular migration by letting through more than two dozen asylum-seekers now stranded in a U.N.-controlled buffer zone that bisects the war-divided island nation. But he said the 180-kilometer buffer zone “won’t become a new avenue for the passage of illegal migrants.” Turkey lets them …

7 EU members say conditions in Syria should be reassessed to allow voluntary refugee returns
7 months, 1 week ago

7 EU members say conditions in Syria should be reassessed to allow voluntary refugee returns

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — The governments of seven European Union member states said Friday the situation in Syria should be re-evaluated to allow for the voluntary return of Syrian refugees back to their homeland. The seven countries said the EU should further boost support for Lebanon to “mitigate the risk of even greater flows from Lebanon to the EU.” “Decisions as …

EU announces 1 billion euros in aid for Lebanon amid a surge in irregular migration
7 months, 3 weeks ago

EU announces 1 billion euros in aid for Lebanon amid a surge in irregular migration

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — The European Union announced Thursday an aid package for Lebanon of 1 billion euros — about $1.06 billion — much of which will go to boost border control to halt the flow of asylum seekers and migrants from the small, crisis-wracked country across the Mediterranean Sea to Cyprus and Italy. The bulk of the aid — 736 million …

EU announces 1 billion euros in aid for Lebanon amid a surge in irregular migration
7 months, 3 weeks ago

EU announces 1 billion euros in aid for Lebanon amid a surge in irregular migration

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Migration agency chief warns that even more Syrians will leave Lebanon as donors cut back on aid
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Migration agency chief warns that even more Syrians will leave Lebanon as donors cut back on aid

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The number of Syrian refugees leaving Lebanon is likely to keep rising as donors cut back on aid, the head of the U.N.'s migration agency warned Tuesday, as pressure builds over their arrival on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Amy Pope, director general of the International Organization for Migration, said that around 3,000 Syrians have left Lebanon since …

UN refugee agency tells Cyprus to stick to the law in its efforts at sea to thwart refugee boats
8 months ago

UN refugee agency tells Cyprus to stick to the law in its efforts at sea to thwart refugee boats

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — The United Nations’ refugee agency said Friday that Cypriot efforts at sea to stop numerous Syrian refugee-laden boats departing Lebanon from reaching the European Union-member island nation mustn’t contravene international human rights laws or put passengers at risk. UNCHR spokesperson in Cyprus Emilia Strovolidou told The Associated Press that according to testimonies of passengers’ relatives, Cypriot authorities …

Cyprus suspends processing of Syrian asylum applications as boatloads of refugees continue arriving
8 months, 1 week ago

Cyprus suspends processing of Syrian asylum applications as boatloads of refugees continue arriving

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus said Saturday it’s suspending processing all asylum applications by Syrian nationals because large numbers of refugees from the war-torn country continue to reach the island nation by boat, primarily from Lebanon. On Monday, Christodoulides and Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on the European Union to provide financial support to help cash-strapped Lebanon stop migrants …

Cyprus president and Lebanese caretaker premier urge EU financial aid to curb migration from Lebanon
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Cyprus president and Lebanese caretaker premier urge EU financial aid to curb migration from Lebanon

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — The Lebanese caretaker prime minister and the Cypriot president are calling on the European Union to provide financial support to help cash-strapped Lebanon stop migrants from reaching European shores. President Nikos Christodoulides’ visit to Beirut Monday, alongside his country’s interior and foreign ministers and army chief, came after he urged the EU last week to intercede with Lebanese …

Cyprus president and Lebanese caretaker premier urge EU financial aid to curb migration from Lebanon
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Cyprus president and Lebanese caretaker premier urge EU financial aid to curb migration from Lebanon

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Lebanese caretaker prime minister …

Cyprus president asks EU Commission chief to get Lebanon to stop migrants from leaving its shores
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Cyprus president asks EU Commission chief to get Lebanon to stop migrants from leaving its shores

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — The president of Cyprus said on Tuesday that he has personally asked the head of the European Union’s executive arm to intercede with Lebanese authorities to stop boatloads of Syrian refugees from heading to the east Mediterranean island nation. “This aid can’t be given while we have to deal with this issue,” Christodoulides said, adding that he …

Cyprus concerned over spike in arrivals of Syrian refugees from Lebanon
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Cyprus concerned over spike in arrivals of Syrian refugees from Lebanon

Al Jazeera  

Arrivals of Syrian asylum seekers have surged, with more than 350 such arrivals recorded in two days. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides on Tuesday said it was “deeply concerning” that the irregular arrival of Syrian asylum seekers and refugees was consistently rising in recent weeks, with more than 350 such arrivals recorded in two days. Cyprus, the EU’s easternmost state, lies …

Cyprus minister says a proposal to set up safe zones in Syria for refugees to return is advancing
9 months ago

Cyprus minister says a proposal to set up safe zones in Syria for refugees to return is advancing

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — A Cyprus government proposal to enable repatriations of Syrian refugees by designating specific areas within the country as safe zones is “gaining ground” among the island nation’s fellow European Union member states, the Cypriot interior minister said Friday. Minister Constantinos Ioannou said after talks with European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas that it’s the “conviction of several …

Cyprus president wants the European Union to discuss designating Syria safe zones for refugees
10 months, 1 week ago

Cyprus president wants the European Union to discuss designating Syria safe zones for refugees

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — The European Union won’t serve its own best interests if it doesn’t consider designating some parts of Syria as safe zones so refugees and migrants can return there, the president of Cyprus said Monday. “I don’t consider not discussing the situation inside Syria as an appropriate option for the European Union,” Christodoulides said after talks with Germany’s …

A child dies after being rescued off Cyprus with 59 other Syrian migrants
10 months, 4 weeks ago

A child dies after being rescued off Cyprus with 59 other Syrian migrants

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — One of the five children who were hospitalized in Cyprus after being rescued from a rickety boat carrying 60 Syrian migrants has died, officials said Thursday. The migrants, who were rescued early Wednesday by Cyprus police, apparently ran out of food and water after the boat had engine trouble during a six-day voyage from Lebanon, officials said. …

Cyprus minister says his nation leads EU in repatriations and migrant arrivals are down sharply
1 year ago

Cyprus minister says his nation leads EU in repatriations and migrant arrivals are down sharply

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus is the first European Union member country to repatriate more migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected than have arrived in a single year, the east Mediterranean island nation’s interior minister said Thursday. But Ioannou said a deal EU leaders reached on Wednesday on new rules to control migration falls short of Cyprus’ demand for compulsory …

Cyprus prepares for a potential migrant influx due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war
1 year, 1 month ago

Cyprus prepares for a potential migrant influx due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus is doubling the existing 1,153-person capacity of its main migrant reception camp as the island nation prepares for potentially a large influx of people if the crisis in neighboring Israel and Gaza escalates, authorities said Monday. The Pournara reception camp — on the outskirts of the capital Nicosia — will see an increase in staffing to …

Cyprus braces for refugee arrivals amid Lebanon war fears
1 year, 1 month ago

Cyprus braces for refugee arrivals amid Lebanon war fears

Al Jazeera  

Officials in Cyprus say Beirut’s possible involvement in the Israel-Hamas war has made Lebanon lag in migration management. Cyprus has received 458 Syrian refugees from Lebanon in a week, Cypriot authorities have said, as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to spread into a wider regional conflict. He said that Lebanon’s possible involvement in Israel’s war in Gaza and the generally worsening …

Cyprus calls on the EU to rethink Syrian safe zones for eventually repatriating Syrian migrants
1 year, 3 months ago

Cyprus calls on the EU to rethink Syrian safe zones for eventually repatriating Syrian migrants

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus has formally called on the European Union to re-evaluate which areas of Syria can be declared safe and free from armed conflict so that Syrian migrants can eventually be repatriated there, Cypriot authorities said Friday. Ethnically divided Cyprus, with a population of nearly a million in the southern, internationally recognized part where migrants seek asylum, says …

Cyprus dismantles human smuggling ring bringing Syrian migrants from Syria, Lebanon and Turkey
1 year, 4 months ago

Cyprus dismantles human smuggling ring bringing Syrian migrants from Syria, Lebanon and Turkey

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus said Wednesday it dismantled a criminal human smuggling ring responsible for bringing boatloads of Syrian migrants from Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. Andreou said the police raid also found 44 Syrian migrants living in those homes, all of whom are asylum seekers or have been accorded international protection status. Cyprus’ Interior Ministry had noted an increase in …

Cyprus is sending Syrian migrants back to Lebanon. The UN is concerned but Cypriots say it’s lawful
1 year, 4 months ago

Cyprus is sending Syrian migrants back to Lebanon. The UN is concerned but Cypriots say it’s lawful

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — The United Nations refugee agency said Friday it was “extremely concerned” over the return of more than 100 Syrian nationals from Cyprus to Lebanon without being screened to determine whether they need legal protection and who may be deported back to their war-wracked homeland. “Under these circumstances, we believe that they don’t face any danger and their …

Cyprus arrests 5 after 2 boats sink, 37 migrants saved
2 years, 3 months ago

Cyprus arrests 5 after 2 boats sink, 37 migrants saved

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus police have arrested five Syrians on suspicion of people trafficking after a police patrol boat plucked them and 32 of their countrymen from the sea when their rickety boats sank close to the island’s southeastern tip. Police say the five men aged 46-53 face numerous charges including helping third-country citizens to illegally enter Cyprus for financial …

Cyprus streamlines migrant returns with EU help
2 years, 10 months ago

Cyprus streamlines migrant returns with EU help

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — The European Union and it’s border agency Frontex have helped Cyprus streamline procedures to return migrants who have had their asylum applications rejected amid soaring numbers of arrivals, the country’s interior minister said Tuesday. Minister Nicos Nouris told reporters after talks with Beate Gminder, who heads the European Commission’s Migration Management Task Force, that Cyprus saw 1,335 …

Syrian refugees in Cyprus struggling to rebuild lives torn by war
2 years, 11 months ago

Syrian refugees in Cyprus struggling to rebuild lives torn by war

Al Jazeera  

Paphos, Cyprus – Mustafa*, his wife and their four children felt a sense of relief last summer as they entered a condominium overlooking the shimmering Mediterranean Sea. But in January, the Cypriot interior ministry implemented a decree that banned asylum seekers from moving to Chloraka, citing demographic changes and “social problems”. I’m not here to break laws.” Government decree Interior …

Vatican takes in 12 migrants as pope denounces indifference
3 years ago

Vatican takes in 12 migrants as pope denounces indifference

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Pope Francis on Friday denounced the “culture of indifference” that the West shows migrants as the Vatican confirmed that at least a dozen asylum-seekers would be transferred from Cyprus to Italy in a gesture of solidarity with European countries that have received a disproportionate share of would-be refugees. The Vatican didn’t immediately respond when asked about the …

Lebanese navy rescues distressed boat carrying migrants
3 years, 1 month ago

Lebanese navy rescues distressed boat carrying migrants

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — Lebanon’s navy rescued a boat carrying migrants that had left the country, heading west across the Mediterranean Sea, but broke down off the coast, the prime minister’s office said Saturday. It was the latest case of desperate people — mostly Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians — sailing toward European Union member Cyprus, and sometimes Turkey, seeking to escape Lebanon’s …

Cyprus wants EU support for migrant crackdown as flows rise
3 years, 1 month ago

Cyprus wants EU support for migrant crackdown as flows rise

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus said Wednesday it will seek European Union approval to stop processing asylum claims from migrants illegally entering the east Mediterranean island nation. Government spokesman Marios Pelekanos said a surge of new migrant arrivals is fueling serious crime, taxing state coffers and altering the country’s demographics. Pelekanos said authorities would also press the EU to relocate a …

Lebanon affirms deal to take back migrants sailing to Cyprus
4 years, 2 months ago

Lebanon affirms deal to take back migrants sailing to Cyprus

Associated Press  

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus and Lebanon on Tuesday reaffirmed an agreement for Lebanese authorities to take back migrants aboard boats trying to reach Cypriot shores. He said European Union member Cyprus and Lebanon would “We’re sending out a clear message that we won’t tolerate anyone engaging in the trafficking of human beings and that we’re defending the interests of our …

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