Cypriot coastguard rescues 84 Syrian refugees

Athens (dpa) - The Cypriot coastguard has rescued 84 Syrian refugees from a boat in distress, a police spokesman told RIK radio on Friday.The vessel, which had dozens of children on board, suffered engine damage late on Thursday a few kilometres off the small harbour town of Polis, in the north-west of the island.All passengers are doing well, the police spokesman added.Cyprus is a little used route for the throngs of Syrians fleeing the civil war in the country, although, in recent weeks, dozens of migrants have made the journey to the small European Union nation.The majority of Syrian refugees have instead tried to reach the EU by travelling from Turkey to Greek islands.The Cypriot police spokesman said the 84 on the boat had probably set off from Mersin in southern Turkey and that a suspected smuggler captaining the vessel had left the boat shortly before reaching Cyprus and boarded a speedboat heading for Turkey.Approximately 600 migrants live in two reception centres in Cyprus. Another 100 are located in British army bases on the island in the eastern Mediterranean.