A vessel belonging to the Cypriot law enforcement authorities docked off the coast of Lebanon on Wednesday amidst reports that Nicosia is intensifying efforts to prevent Syrian refugees from reaching the island on small boats. The rescue service reported that the presence of the ship prevented up to five boats carrying refugees from setting sail. Cypriot authorities declined to comment.
A vessel of the Cypriot maritime police, named Evagoras, was spotted on ship tracking sites in international waters off the coast of Tripoli, Lebanon. The maritime rescue group Alarm Phone wrote on social media platform X: "These people are trapped in a harsh and dangerous game between Cyprus and Lebanon, remaining at sea without food or water and in urgent need of help."
The Cypriot police, the Ministry of the Interior, and a government spokesperson all refused to comment. Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou indicated that "some additional measures have been taken to prevent the arrival of new arrivals, including those announced regarding the evaluation of new asylum applications." The minister declined to comment on the presence of the Cypriot ship off Lebanon.
The suspension of asylum application assessments means that new arrivals will either be forced to stay in government reception camps that provide food and shelter and organize departures or live at their own risk, including waiving any benefits. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees stated that it is closely monitoring the situation, although it remains unclear how many Syrians may be affected by this move. More than 8,500 asylum applications were submitted from 2023 until the end of March 2024.
