Cyprus Rescues 17 Syrians aboard Boat Coming from Lebanon
Seventeen Syrian migrants who set sail from Lebanon aboard a small craft have declared that they intend to apply for asylum on the east Mediterranean island nation, Cypriot police said.
Police said Tuesday a patrol boat rescued the migrants — including five children — after authorities located their craft some 77 kilometers off the island's southeastern tip.
Police said the migrants told authorities that they departed from a Lebanese harbor on Oct. 29 after each paying 1,000 euros ($1,140) to an individual who provided them with the craft.
The migrants said their intended destination was Cyprus. Police said all were well and were being hosted at a migrant reception center on the outskirts of the capital, Nicosia.
Attempts by Lebanon-based Syrians to reach Cyprus have increased in recent weeks.
The United Nations' refugee agency (UNHCR) has registered nearly one million Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
Humanitarian representatives and government officials say the number is likely much higher, since many refugees who have fled Syria's civil war to Lebanon are not officially registered with the United Nations.
Earlier this month, Cyprus announced it was looking to broker a repatriation agreement with Beirut because of an increased influx of migrants from Lebanon to the Mediterranean island.
Source: Associated Press, Naharnet
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