Cyprus accused of migrant pushbacks

A total of 25 migrants have been forcibly removed from territories of the Republic and taken to the buffer zone against their will, while being denied access to asylum procedures, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) charged on Friday.

The accusation was ardently denied by Cyprus’ government, which called the statements untrue and inaccurate.

Public information officer for the UNHCR Emilia Strovolidou told the Cyprus Mail that in July alone on seven different occasions, Cyprus’ police reportedly intercepted a total of 25 migrants within government-controlled areas and subsequently and pushed them back to the buffer zone.

“Pushbacks should not be happening. They are illegal as they entail a risk of refoulement and should not be taking place at sea or on land.”

She said some of the migrants had been spotted close to the Pournara migrant reception centre but rather than be allowed to apply for asylum as they expressed a wish to, they were reportedly taken to the buffer zone against their wishes.

Deputy minister for migration Nicholas Ioannides however rejected the allegations levelled against the Republic, saying “such statements are inaccurate.

“No such thing is taking place. There are no pushbacks at sea or on land,” he told the Cyprus Mail.

He could not comment on how the government and UNCHR had such different version of events which unfolded though this is not the first time this has happened.

Strovolidou said the pushbacks from areas of the Republic to the buffer zone took place on July 2, 4, 5, 15, 20, 21 and 26.

“This situation needs to be addressed urgently,” she added.

When an individual expresses the wish to apply for asylum and is not allowed to do so “this is not in line with EU and international laws.”

On Thursday, representatives from 12 embassies in Cyprus went to the buffer zone to visit the migrants.

British High Commissioner to Cyprus Irfan Siddiq wrote on X that despite efforts by the UN “these people (including children) are living in dire conditions.

“An urgent solution is needed to relocate these people to more humane conditions and to allow for the processing of their asylum claims.”

Migrants have previously told the press they are dealing with depression and a growing sense of hopelessness as they live in makeshift tents with no clarity over what may happen to them.

Their daily reality includes washing with a bucket and living among snakes and rats.

This is not the first time the government has been accused of forcibly taking migrants from areas of the Republic to the buffer zone.

The UNHCR in June said five of the migrants stranded in the buffer zone had managed to enter the territory of the Republic and sought to apply for asylum.

It said the mgirants “were later removed from the [Pournara] centre by police and pushed back to the buffer zone.”

The government denied the accusation at the time, saying no such incident had unfolded.

Ioannides said the same applies on the latest alleged incident.

“I want to clarify that we offer food, water and medicine when asked.” An ambulance is on standby for the migrants currently stranded in the buffer zone.

According to Strovolidou, the migrants come from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Congo, Somalia, Bangladesh and Camerron.

In a statement last month, the EU Commission said it was monitoring the situation and stressed the right to asylum amid safety concerns for the migrants.

Since mid-May, a growing number of migrants have been stranded in the buffer zone as the Republic refuses to grant them access to asylum proceedings.

It has cited the Green Line regulation and a toughening policy aimed at reducing the flow of migrants coming to the Cyprus through the buffer zone after arriving to the north.

In May, the UNHCR said around 30 migrants were stranded as a result, a figure which it says has since gone up to 59.

Ioannides said the government was evaluating the effectiveness of the policy.