NICOSIA, Cyprus: A court in Cyprus has ordered two Lebanese nationals, aged 19 and 21, to remain in police custody for six days on suspicion of people smuggling. The suspects are accused of being the drivers of two boats that transported 146 Syrian refugees and one Lebanese migrant to the east Mediterranean island nation.
According to police reports, the refugees stated during questioning that they departed from Tripoli, Lebanon, on Thursday, February 22, each paying $2,500 for passage aboard the boats. One boat carried 30 individuals, including 6 women and 11 minors, while the second boat transported 117 people, including 8 women and 17 minors. Police detected both vessels off Cape Greco on Saturday afternoon.
All migrants were brought ashore and subsequently taken to a migrant reception center near Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus.
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides recently emphasized the importance of designating certain parts of Syria as safe zones to facilitate the return of refugees and migrants. He stated that the European Union must consider this measure to support Mediterranean countries facing significant pressures from migrant influxes.
Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou disclosed that Cypriot authorities have requested assistance from Europol to enhance patrols along the Lebanese coastline, aiming to prevent further migrant departures.
Despite a 37% decrease in overall migrant arrivals to Cyprus last year, arrivals by boat from Syria and Lebanon surged by 355%, reaching 4,259 individuals in 2023 compared to 937 in 2022, according to official figures.
