Cyprus Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting Due to Increase in Migrant Flow

The National Security Council of the Republic of Cyprus will convene today for an emergency meeting due to a sharp increase in illegal migrants. Over the past few days, ten boats have arrived in the country carrying nearly 500 illegal migrants.

In particular, on Monday afternoon, three boats carrying 136 illegal migrants arrived on the coast of Cape Greco. The first boat had 18 people on board, the second had 21, and the third had 97. Coastguard and maritime police boats approached the three vessels and safely transported them to the Ayia Napa port. After recording their data, all migrants were transferred to the "Pournara" reception center in Kokkinotrimithia.

In connection with the new arrival of immigrants, the police have arrested three individuals - two Lebanese aged 22 and 36, and a 17-year-old Syrian teenager.

Furthermore, on Tuesday at one in the morning, two more boats carrying 68 Syrian migrants were spotted, arriving in Cyprus from Lebanon. Two Syrians aged 26 and 52 have been arrested on suspicion of human trafficking.

It was previously reported that on Sunday afternoon, 272 migrants disembarked from five ships on the shores of Cyprus, including 72 children, 22 of whom were unaccompanied. Among them were also 169 men and 31 women on fishing boats. They all arrived from Lebanon.

Following these events, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, called an emergency meeting of the National Security Council on Tuesday morning to discuss immigration issues.

The meeting will be attended by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Justice and Public Order, Defense, a government representative, the Deputy Minister for European Affairs, the Attorney General, as well as the heads of police.