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.
Cyprus has expressed concerns about a rise in the irregular migration of Syrian refugees coming from Lebanon.
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.
“I fully understand the challenges Lebanon is facing, but exporting migrants to Cyprus should not be the answer and cannot be accepted,” he said after a meeting with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
Cyprus, the EU’s easternmost state, lies just 100 miles (160km) from Syria and Lebanon, and arrivals of asylum seekers from the former in particular have surged in recent months.
Lebanon, which is in economic crisis, hosts some 800,000 United Nations-registered Syrian refugees, but officials estimate the actual number is far higher, ranging between 1.5 and two million.
