Cypriot authorities stated on Monday that they are "working to expand their capacity to host refugees, as they prepare for a new influx of those fleeing the escalating conflict in the Middle East." Cyprus relies on enhancing cooperation with Beirut to help stop irregular migration by intercepting departures from Lebanon. However, with the war between Israel and Hamas intensifying and clashes escalating along the Lebanese-Israeli border, Cyprus fears that displacement will accelerate.
The number of asylum seekers arriving from the Middle East has increased in recent years, but a period of calm experienced during the summer ended in early October amid fears of regional violence escalating between Israel and the Palestinians. Approximately 500 Syrians have reached the island in at least six separate incidents over the past nine days, arriving by boats departing from the Lebanese coast, a figure higher than usual.
