NICOSIA, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- A group of 19 unregulated immigrants arrived on a craggy remote beach in northwestern Cyprus overnight, police said on Tuesday.

They said the immigrants, 14 men, two women and three underage children, were probably brought from Turkey aboard a speedboat.

A police statement said a police coastguard vessel spotted the trafficker's speedboat after the immigrants got off and ordered it on the radio to stop for inspection.

However, the trafficker speeded up and managed to get away after a chase, by making dangerous maneuvering in a sea area dotted with rocks.

The immigrants were given food, water and warm clothing at a local police station before taken to a refugee center.

The police did not announce the nationality of the immigrants, but people arriving from Turkey are mostly Syrians who fled the fighting in their country.

The Minister of Interior has said that the Syrians come to Cyprus to stay and do not intend to travel to any other European Union country.

The Minister has given notice to the European Union that it has reached its capacity in receiving refugees and called for an automatic mechanism of allocating refugees among EU member states.

The government spokesman said on Monday that Cyprus is preparing for an increased influx of refugees from Syria should there be renewed fighting after the departure of United States troops from Syria, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The spokesman implied that the Cypriot government is not pleased with the United States move, fearing it will aggravate the situation in Syria, just 200 kilometers away across the eastern Mediterranean. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)