The community leader of Kato Pyrgos has called on Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou to beef up the coast guard in the area after more Syrian migrants – who had arrived from Turkey – were arrested late on Tuesday night.
Just a few days after migrants were intercepted off the coast of Tillyria, 15 more people – 14 men and a woman – were caught getting off a boat and coming ashore in the Mansoura area.
“We had previously called on the minister to act because this is becoming a frequent phenomenon,” said Kato Pyrgos Community Leader Costas Michaelides.
“The area around Tillyria needs better marshaling from the coast guard. But he didn’t see it that way and said that the coast guard at Latchi was sufficient. But that simply isn’t the case. I call once again on the ministry to act.”
The authorities in Cyprus had been on standby following reports that the boat from Turkey had intended to reach the island. The vessel was later spotted approaching and then stopping at the isolated Mansouras area.
Police suspect that the migrants were to be collected by a human trafficking ring on the island and then transported elsewhere on the island.
It is the second time in a short space of time that migrants have been intercepted in the area.
Another 15 people – seven of which were women and children – also arrived on the island and were detained.
Source:in-cyprus
