Refugees land in Tilliria region early morning

A group of refugees arrived in Cyprus on Wednesday morning in a coastal village in the Tilliria region of north-western Cyprus.

According to Cyprus News Agency, 36 people from Syria -among them one female- reached the northern coast just before 5am, a few hours after their vessel was spotted off the coast of north-western Cyprus.

The boat was initially heading towards Latchi/Chrysochous bay further out west, according to CNA, but at the last moment it made a turn towards Morphou bay and the refugees landed on a beach in Limnitis.

They then had to walk about half an hour on foot through a pathway, according to CNA, before they could reach land controlled by the Republic of Cyprus.

Officials were standing ready to assist the refugees upon their arrival, who also helped them board a bus to the Polis Chrysochous police station where they provided their personal information.

Local community leader Nikos Kleanthou, who spoke with CNA, raised the issue of lack of security in the Kato Pyrgos area of Tilliria, repeating his calls on the government to take action in curbing “migration waves that have become a repeated phenomenon” in the area.