UN Refugee Agency says Cyprus is still withdrawing immigration ships, Cyprus insists that the agency is wrong

Nicosia, Cyprus – Cyprus and the United Nations Refugee Agency clashed Thursday, saying the Eastern Mediterranean island nation continued to carry out so-called overturns on ships carrying migrants from neighboring Syria or Lebanon.

The conflict on Thursday took place on state broadcasters, days after Cyprus authorities recovered two survivors and seven bodies in international waters near Cyprus, whose ships apparently sank in rough oceans.

Emilia Strovolidou, spokesman for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, intercepted three migrants in the Cyprus territorial waters in the Cyprus region between March 13 and 14, but prevented them from boarding the ship at the Larnaca Port, bringing them back from where they left.

Cyprus Attorney General Marios Hartsiotis disputed Strovolidou’s claims, saying that the Cyprus patrol intercepted two (rather than three) ships near the waters of the Lebanese territory within the scope of Cyprus’ responsibility.

He said the Cypriot authorities asked Lebanon’s assistance to be consistent with the bilateral agreement to turn the ships back to the Lebanese coast and set sail from them.

Hartsiotis insists that Cyprus will not be hindered and comply with its international legal obligations, adding that “serious organizations” such as UNHCR “must confirm their claims.” He said any relevant information should be forwarded to the Cyprus police for proper investigation.

Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas also said UNCHR’s claim to “not stand.”

“We have the right to protect our borders, including those at sea,” said Hartsios. Cyprus’ campaign approach to irregular immigration arrivals has dropped sharply in the past two years. In 2024, immigration arrivals fell by 64% compared to immigration in 2022, while the percentage of immigration departures increased from 43% in 2022 to 179% in 2024.

The Associated Press asked UNHCR to explain the differences in both versions. In the written statement, the agency provided no additional details, but insisted that “the individuals on board were denied entry into Cyprus and are now back to where Syria fled.”

“International non-refutable international legal principles prohibit all states … from sending people directly or indirectly back to places where persecution or serious human rights violations are committed,” the statement said.

The Cyprus government’s claim that it is not involved in blockage is based on its definition of the repression. Hartsiotis said the key element of the impetus was the use of violence, saying that the Cypriot authorities did not adopt such tactics.

Europe’s top human rights court ruled last October that Cyprus violated the right of two Syrian nationals to seek asylum in island countries after they reserved them, while more than twenty other people took a boat at sea for two days before sending them back to Lebanon.

Two men were rescued on Monday, among two men about 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Cyprus, passengers on a boat, sunk in the sea below the rough sea.

Officials said the ship is believed to carry at least 20 Syrian men aged 25-30. That’s all for ongoing searches for the area.

The sinking has sparked speculation in the media about what the Cyprus authorities said was inaction, especially when a victim who was heard of a NGO alert call warned the authorities in distress somewhere on the southern coast of Cyprus.

This sparked an angry response, with government officials saying that air and offshore assets were dispatched in the search effort, covering an area of ​​1,000 nautical miles without any results.

In a joint statement, the Justice, Defense and Immigration Minister said so far there is nothing to suggest that the alarm call warns about two rescued people on the sunken ship.

“The Republic of Cyprus is unacceptable for alleged violations of human rights,” the ministers said. “The Republic of Cyprus has never ignored information seeking help or on search and rescue operations and has taken all necessary actions consistent with the law.”