Fourteen migrants find themselves stranded in the buffer zone near the University of Cyprus campus in Aglantzia. The Republic of Cyprus’s temporary suspension of asylum applications prevents their entry into government-controlled areas. The group includes women and children from Afghanistan, Sudan, Cameroon, and Iran, with assistance being provided by the UNFICYP and UNHCR.
Increased Migration Across the Green Line
This year has seen a rise in migration across the Green Line from the occupied territories. In response, the government strengthened patrols along the buffer zone. Newly recruited officers conduct continuous patrols to deter migrant arrivals. Meanwhile, the government has reported a 95% decrease in arrivals from Syria by boat. This has been achieved through maritime patrols and pushbacks in Lebanese waters in collaboration with the neighbouring country’s government.
Mediterranean Crossing: The Deadliest Route
Missing Migrants Project, an International Organisation for Migration initiative that has recorded migrant deaths and disappearances since 2014, has found that the Mediterranean crossing continues to be the deadliest route for migrants, with at least 3,129 deaths and disappearances recorded last year. The U.N. human rights office stated earlier this year that based on evidence it has gathered, Syrian refugees who fled the ongoing Syrian civil war are facing gross human rights violations such as torture and abduction on their return to Syria, while women are subject to sexual harassment and violence.
Pushbacks and Human Rights Concerns
According to the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights, pushbacks entail a variety of state measures aimed at forcing refugees and migrants out of their territory while obstructing access to applicable legal and procedural frameworks. “In doing so, States circumvent safeguards governing international protection (including minors), detention or custody, expulsion, and the use of force,” it notes.
