The United Nations is urging Cyprus to begin the asylum process for a growing group of migrants trapped in the UN buffer zone between the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish-backed northern part of the island. Some of these migrants have been stranded there for two weeks.
In a statement released on June 13, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) expressed “deep concern for the safety and well-being” of over 30 asylum seekers, including seven children, who are stuck in the buffer zone. This group, initially reported as 27, includes nationals from Cameroon, Iran, Sudan, and Syria, many of whom are living in makeshift tents under sweltering temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.
The northern part of Cyprus has been under Turkish occupation since the 1970s following a Turkish invasion in response to a Greek-backed coup. Only Turkey recognizes Northern Cyprus internationally. Last week, the Republic of Cyprus authorities announced they would not permit the group to enter, fearing the Turkish-backed north could become a conduit for smugglers.
The UNHCR reported that five members of the group had managed to cross into the south to apply for asylum but were subsequently “removed” from a migrant center and pushed back to the buffer zone. This incident was highlighted by the French news agency AFP.
Cypriot authorities have consistently maintained that they cannot handle the current number of migrants and asylum seekers attempting to enter the country, stating that asylum seekers comprise more than 5% of Cyprus’s population, the highest per capita in the EU. Many migrants attempt to reach Cyprus by boat from Syria and Lebanon, while others fly into Turkey with valid visas before moving to the Turkish-occupied north and crossing the Green Line that divides the island.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has pledged to prevent the Green Line from becoming a “new route for illegal migrants.” While promising assistance and support to the migrants in the buffer zone, he reiterated that they would not be allowed entry into the Republic of Cyprus. The Cypriot government denies violating any international conventions by refusing entry to the group.
The UN insists that asylum seekers must have access to asylum procedures. Aleem Siddique, a spokesperson for the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, emphasized the growing humanitarian crisis in the buffer zone, stressing that these individuals need access to asylum procedures under national, European, and international refugee law. The UN has directly raised its concerns with the Republic of Cyprus, urging them to address the situation.
The Cypriot government has already suspended processing Syrian asylum applications and is among a group of EU states advocating for the return of Syrians once the country is deemed safe. Reports indicate that Cypriot authorities have called on the UN to push the migrants back to the Turkish-occupied north.