Cyprus rescues 45 Syrian migrants, keeps 2 in custody
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – On Friday, Cypriot emergency services rescued 45 Syrian migrants from two rickety vessels after they received information that they were in distress near a coastal tourist resort.
The eastern Mediterranean island’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said it had brought ashore 29 men, five women and 11 children who had been afloat off Cape Greco on Thursday evening.
Police said the migrants said they had departed from the Syrian port of Tartus on Wednesday and had each paid $2,500 for the trip to Cyprus.
The police say most migrants arriving on boats set out from the port of Tartus.
They were in good health and had been transferred to a migrant reception center on the outskirts of the capital Nicosia, according to the police.
It added that two people, aged 20 and 18, were arrested on suspicion of navigating the two boats, and they were scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
Cypriot authorities say there has been a rise by about 60 percent in migrants arriving by boat recorded in the first five months of 2023 compared with last year.