President Nikos Christodoulides of Cyprus has stated that the country will not allow irregular migration to pass through the U.N.-controlled buffer zone that divides the war-divided island. The 27 asylum-seekers currently stranded in the buffer zone, consisting of Afghan, Cameroonian, Sudanese, and Iranian migrants, are receiving humanitarian aid but will not be allowed to continue their journey illegally.
Cyprus, which joined the European Union in 2004, only grants full membership benefits to the internationally recognized south of the island. The U.N. is providing assistance to the stranded migrants, but has no authority to process their asylum claims or send them back to Turkey or the north of Cyprus. The U.N. is calling on the Republic of Cyprus to fulfill its obligations under European Union and international law.
The arrival of the migrants comes at a time when migration is a key issue in local and European Parliament elections, with the far-right gaining support. Cyprus has previously seen an increase in migrants crossing the buffer zone from Turkey, but measures such as increased patrols and accelerated asylum processing have reduced these crossings significantly. The recent influx of Syrian refugees arriving by boat from Lebanon has also been addressed through a deal with Lebanese authorities.
This is not the first time migrants have been stranded in the buffer zone, but Cypriot authorities are trying to avoid a repeat situation. In 2021, Cameroonian asylum-seekers who were stuck in the buffer zone for six months were eventually taken to Italy by Pope Francis. Cyprus remains committed to upholding EU and international laws regarding migration.
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