Dozens of Syrian refugees arrive in Cyprus by boat

Police have said that 47 Syrian refugees, including two women and two children, arrived in Cyprus on Wednesday.

1 min read

21 November, 2018

Cyprus reportedly faces one of the largest migratory flows per capita [AFP]

Police in Cyprus police say a boat carrying 47 Syrian refugees arrived at the east Mediterranean island nation after setting sail from Turkey.

The refugees, including two women and two children, were dropped off on Wednesday on a remote beach on the island's northwestern coastline, police said.

The boat then departed, evading Cypriot authorities. Police said the migrants were transported to a reception center on the outskirts of the capital.

They have expressed their intention to apply for political asylum.

The Cyprus government says the tiny country of 1.1 million people is barely coping with sharp increase in asylum applications from arriving migrants.

Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides said his country faces one of the largest migratory flows per capita, with 4,022 asylum requests in the first eight months of 2018 - 55 percent more than in the same period last year.