Foreign
THE Republic of Cyprus has refused entry to a boat carrying 14 migrants from Lebanon, including two children.
The boat was intercepted by the coast guard off the south-east coast of the island on Wednesday evening.
The migrants spent the night on the coast guard patrol boat.
The coast guard plans to provide the would-be migrants with provisions before escorting them and their boat back to Lebanon by Thursday evening, the Cypriot state broadcaster, RIK reported.
Cyprus has refused to allow hundreds of migrants to dock in Cypriot ports in recent months.
The small country was feeling the pressure of its location at the edge of Europe.
According to EU statistics, in the past year, Cyprus has received the highest number of asylum seekers of any EU member state relative to its population size. (dpa/NAN)
– July 29, 2021 @ 12:40 GMT |
Tags: Cyprus turns away Lebanese migrant boat as it feels pressure
