41 irregular migrants arrive in Cyprus, teen arrested (Updated)

Two boats carrying a total of 41 irregular migrants arrived in Cyprus on Thursday evening.

The boats were spotted on the police’s radar around 12 nautical miles southeast of Cape Greco about two hours apart from one another.

There were 23 people aboard the first boat, 19 of whom were men, two were women, and two were children, one of whom was unaccompanied.

There were 18 people aboard the second boat, 15 of whom were men, and three were unaccompanied children.

Those on board both boats were taken to the Ayia Napa marina to have their details recorded, before being taken to the Pournara reception centre.

The police also announced that a 17-year-old child, accused of driving the boat, had been arrested.

He was brought before the Famagusta District court on Friday charged with multiple offences, including illegally entering the Republic and facilitating the illegal entry of others into the Republic with the intent or purpose of obtaining profit, and transporting a person by waterway in an unsafe or overloaded vessel.

He was remanded in custody for seven days.

The arrival of the 41 migrants came hours after a dead body was found in the sea between Cyprus and Turkey by a passing ferry.

The body was retrieved by Turkish coastguard teams based in the city of Mersin.

That body was the latest in a growing number of dead bodies being found on Cyprus’ coasts.

On Wednesday, funerals were held at the Rizokarpaso Turkish Cypriot cemetery for four unidentified bodies which had been found washed up on the coast of Karpasia.

The bodies remain unidentified, though clothing found on them suggests they were Syrian in origin.

Three of the bodies had been found in the space of 11 days during January, with the fourth being found on Monday.