CYPRUS CALLS FOR EU RETHINK ON SYRIA MIGRATION AS REFUGEE NUMBERS RISE Authorities say the arrival of Syrian refugees is gathering pace
Against a backdrop of mounting tensions in the Middle East, this easternmost outpost of the European Union Cyprus, is bracing itself for an influx of asylum seekers, adding further strain to resources stretched by what authorities say is an already disproportionately high number of persons seeking sanctuary.
Authorities say the arrival of Syrian refugees is gathering pace. In calm seas, it can take a small fishing boat 18-20 hours to get from Lebanon to Cyprus.
Superintendent Ioannis Artemiou, head of the port and marine police unit of Famagusta said in the last two years there has been a dramatic increase, with its peak since August.
Migrants frequently come ashore at the jutting outcrop of Cape Greco in the east of Cyprus, traversing the 100 mile (185 km) distance from Syria or Lebanon.
In Geneva on Wednesday, the United Nations refugee chief told an international forum on refugees that the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza could spur more displacement in the wider region.
As record numbers of Syrian refugees reach the shores of Cyprus, the Nicosia government wants the European Union to consider declaring parts of their war-torn homeland safe to repatriate them to, Cypriot Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou told Reuters.
The minister said starting a discussion to re-evaluate the issue of Syria was crucial for the government.
The foreign ministry was preparing to raise the matter formally with Brussels, he added.
The European Commission did not reply to a request for comment.