Minister repeats warning of wave of migrants

Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou on Tuesday warned developments in Israel and Gaza could impact Lebanon’s ability to monitor its shores, raising the risk for an increased influx of migrants trying to come to Cyprus.

He said the minister is currently monitoring information of “a few hundred Syrian refugees off the coast of Lebanon.”

Ioannou reiterated his call on the EU to financially support Cyprus’ infrastructure to deal with migrants.

Due to Lebanon’s possible involvement in the Israel-Gaza conflict, as well as the broader consequences surrounding the war, Beirut’s efforts to monitor its waters and prevent vessels with migrants from sailing off are weakened, Ioannou noted.

“We are ready as a state to help, as is our duty and as is should be, but our capabilities are limited.”

Ioannou stressed he has conveyed this message to the EU.

Nonetheless, he said prior to the outbreak of violence in Gaza, migrant arrivals had been reduced by 50 per cent, while Green Line arrivals had gone down by 65 to 70 per cent.

Last month, the interior ministry had again warned of fears that waves with hundreds of migrants would arrive to Cyprus in one day from Lebanon’s shores, however this did not unfold.

Meanwhile, Cyprus experienced a surge in arrivals of migrants via sea at the weekend as 40 migrants arrived on Saturday, followed by an additional 224 on Sunday, in two boats carrying 142 and 82 passengers.

The migrants believed to be of Syrian origin and had reached Cyprus from Lebanon.