The Cypriot government announced that police arrested five Syrians on Wednesday, suspected of being involved in a criminal gang engaged in human trafficking. The island, located at the crossroads of three continents, has been experiencing an increase in irregular migration over the past few years, with a rise in the number of arrivals by sea recently.
A statement from the Cypriot presidency said that an early morning raid by the police in the Limassol area of the country resulted in the arrest of the five Syrians, with further arrests expected. Authorities have been gathering information on the suspects for several months.
The statement added, "In an effort to effectively address the migration issue, it is essential to confront the trafficking gangs that endanger the lives of irregular migrants trying to enter the country." The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported that Cyprus received 5,563 new asylum requests by the end of June 2023, compared to 21,565 requests for the entire year of 2022.
