President Nikos Christodoulides of Cyprus has made it clear that the U.N.-controlled buffer zone on the war-divided island will not become a new avenue for irregular migration. This statement comes as 27 asylum-seekers, including Afghans, Cameroonians, Sudanese, and Iranians, are currently stranded in the buffer zone. While the government is providing humanitarian assistance to the migrants, they will not be allowed to pass through the buffer zone into the south of Cyprus.
The U.N. has been providing basic necessities to the migrants as they are unable to submit their asylum claims to Cypriot authorities. However, the U.N. does not have the mandate to process asylum applications and cannot send the migrants back to the north or Turkey. Efforts are being made to find a solution that aligns with EU and international law.
Cyprus, an EU member since 2004, has seen a decrease in irregular migration in recent years due to measures such as increased police patrols and expedited asylum claims processing. Despite this, there was a recent influx of Syrian refugees arriving by boat from Lebanon, which has now been halted through a deal with Lebanese authorities.
The current situation with the stranded migrants in the buffer zone comes amidst local and European Parliament elections, where migration is a key campaign issue. Cyprus remains vigilant to prevent a repeat of similar scenarios in the future. This is not the first time migrants have been stranded in the buffer zone, with past instances leading to complex diplomatic challenges.
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