Arrivals of Syrian asylum seekers have surged, with greater than 350 such arrivals recorded in two days.
Cyprus has expressed issues a few rise within the irregular migration of Syrian refugees coming from Lebanon.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides on Tuesday mentioned it was “deeply concerning” that the irregular arrival of Syrian asylum seekers and refugees was persistently rising in latest weeks, with greater than 350 such arrivals recorded in two days.
“I fully understand the challenges Lebanon is facing, but exporting migrants to Cyprus should not be the answer and cannot be accepted,” he mentioned after a gathering with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
Cyprus, the EU’s easternmost state, lies simply 100 miles (160km) from Syria and Lebanon, and arrivals of asylum seekers from the previous particularly have surged in latest months.
Lebanon, which is in financial disaster, hosts some 800,000 United Nations-registered Syrian refugees, however officers estimate the precise quantity is way greater, ranging between 1.5 and two million.
About 90 p.c of Syrian refugees in Lebanon reside under the intense poverty line, in response to the UN Excessive Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
In proportion to its inhabitants, Cyprus has recorded the very best variety of purposes for asylum over latest years compared with different EU member states.
A mean of 30 individuals per day have reached the island because the starting of the 12 months in response to statistics compiled by the UNHCR, the UN’s refugee physique.
Nicosia desires the European Union to think about declaring elements of war-ravaged Syria protected, which might enable for the repatriation of asylum seekers arriving at neighbouring nations.
Syria has been in a state of struggle since 2011 after the protests broke out in opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s authorities. Al-Assad regained management of two-thirds of the nation, with the assistance of his allies – Russia, Iran and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
The northwest remains to be beneath the management of opposition forces.
Final month, EU Commissioner Margaritis Schinas mentioned the European Union may strike a cope with Lebanon to stem the outflow of refugees and aslyum seekers, as Cyprus complained it was being inundated by a surge in arrivals from the Center East.
The EU has entered agreements with a number of nations to assist them cope with elevated migration burdens, and, in the end, to forestall a spillover into the 27 member states of the bloc. Rights teams have sharply criticised the pacts.