Refugees reach Cyprus in poor weather

A total of 31 Syrian refugees managed to reach Cyprus on Tuesday early morning, despite very cold weather and poor conditions at sea.

Police said a Syrian family with two children, a 5-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl, reached the northern shores of Cyprus along with 27 other undocumented migrants.

Civil Defence officials were not immediately available to provide more details, but according to Cyprus News Agency (CNA) all other refugees besides the family were described as undocumented males and presumptive asylum seekers.

The boat is believed to have left the Turkish coast according to CNA, an apparent shift from recent arrivals that came from Lebanon. Ten days ago, a single survivor was picked up by an American ship after his boat capsized northeast of Cape Greco, while seven other fellow travelers from Syria were presumed dead.

The latest arrivals reportedly landed on a beach in Limniti, in the north, and then walked through the buffer zone until they reached Kato Pyrgos in the Republic of Cyprus.

Their arrival preceded what is believed to be a severe weather phenomenon, as very strong westerly winds have been pounding the region and gusty winds are also expected later in the afternoon.

The refugees were transported to the local police station at Polis Chrysochous for registration, with their next stop being the Kokkinotrimithia reception centre in rural Nicosia.