Number of Stranded Refugees in Buffer Zone Rises to 53

Refugees attempting to cross from the TRNC to the Republic of Cyprus and getting trapped in the Green Line continue to grow in number.

A June report by the American newspaper, The New York Times, had stated that the number of refugees stuck in the Green Line was 30. However, the latest report by The Guardian indicates that the number has now reached at least 53.

A second camp has been established by the United Nations (UN) in the controlled area to accommodate the growing number of refugees. Among those stranded in the buffer zone are women, children, and cancer patients.

It was reported that eight refugees, mostly Syrians, are currently missing. Among the missing are two unaccompanied children. At least half of the missing refugees were reported to have disappeared after escaping the Green Line and applying for asylum at the Pournara reception center in the Republic of Cyprus.

Additionally, over the weekend, four more individuals from Iran and Nigeria were caught attempting to cross from the TRNC to the Republic of Cyprus.

The camps also house refugees from Cameroon, Iraq, Sudan, and Afghanistan.

Emilia Strovolidou, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cyprus, emphasized that the situation at the Green Line violates European Union (EU) laws, stating:

“The asylum requests of these individuals must be safeguarded and examined under EU law. Their situation of being stuck in uncertainty is unacceptable, and we must develop a viable solution for them.”

The European Commission also stressed that as an EU member state, the Republic of Cyprus is obligated by law to accept international asylum applications made "at the border or in transit areas."

In response to the escalating crisis, diplomatic delegations from 12 Western embassies in the Republic of Cyprus are scheduled to visit the refugee camps today to assess the situation.

Source: The Guardian