Newsroom
Over a hundred presumptive refugees from Syria reached the eastern coast of Cyprus on Tuesday, including women and young children.
According to the Cyprus News Agency, a total of 101 undocumented migrants were on board a vessel when they were picked up by Cypriot Coast Guard and brought to a fishing pier in Protaras on Tuesday afternoon around 3pm.
The refugees were described as Syrian nationals, including 88 adult males, 6 women, 6 minors, and a young infant, according to CNA, which also reported the refugees told Cypriot officials they boarded a vessel in Mersin, Turkey.
According to police, the boat showed up on radar earlier in the morning around 11:30am, around 18-20 nautical miles off Golden Roast.
The Coast Guard used inflatable boats to transfer passengers to shore after technical problems were reported on the vessel estimated to be 100 feet long.
State officials, including Civil Defence and Migration officers as well as members of CID Famagusta, visited the fishing pier in Agios Nicolaos where the refugees gathered for health checks and immigration processing.
Reports said the refugees would be taken to Nicosia’s Kokkinotrimithia camp.
