Nouris blames Turkey for immigration surge in Europe

Interior Minister Nicos Nouris said Wednesday that Cyprus stands in solidarity with nations facing waves of illegal immigration that is being used against them politically.

EU interior ministers on Wednesday held an online meeting to discuss a recent surge of illegal border crossings in Lithuania, in which Vilnius accuses Belarus of orchestrating the movements.

At the meeting, which was overshadowed by the ongoing Afghanistan crisis and concerns over a potential new wave of migration, Nouris said that Cyprus has also been on the receiving end of such tactics.

Nouris blamed Turkey for its alleged role in the recent Lithuania surge while also stating that many arrivals in Cyprus have come from Turkey and the north.

Lithuania has accused Belarus of intentionally flying Iraqi and other migrants to Minsk and then guiding them over the border to claim asylum. It is argued that this is being done in retaliation for sanctions imposed by the EU on Belarus.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of using refugees “in a hybrid way to undermine security”.