Cypriot Police Rescue 60 Syrian Migrants from Stranded Boat

Migrants from Syria sit inside a bus at the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. Officials say at least four people have

Approximately 60 Syrian migrants were rescued by Cypriot police after being stranded at sea for six days. The migrants, who were found approximately 55 kilometers off the southeastern coast of Cyprus, were in dire need of food and water. Five minors among them had to be hospitalized, with three in intensive care.

Authorities were alerted to the migrants' presence by a passing merchant ship in the early hours of the morning. Police and army helicopters were deployed to transport three children and an adult to a nearby hospital. Of these, three minors were reported to be in critical condition, while two were listed as serious. The adult, who suffered from hypothermia, was treated and subsequently released. Three other adults aboard the vessel had broken bones and were treated by police officers aboard a patrol vessel.

The wooden boat carrying the migrants had set sail from Lebanon on January 18, approximately 168 kilometers away from Cyprus. A Lebanese lawyer familiar with migrant issues stated that the boat had been missing since its departure until it reached Cyprus. The migrants were reportedly in a weakened state due to lack of food.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides expressed gratitude for the prompt rescue operation undertaken by authorities. However, he called upon the Lebanese government to take action in order to prevent such departures from occurring, as the majority of migrants arriving in Cyprus are Syrians who transit through Lebanon.

Five minors had to be hospitalized, three of them in intensive care.

Migrants from Syria sit inside a bus at the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. Officials say at least four people have been hospitalized after Cypriot police rescued 60 Syrian migrants found aboard a rickety wooden boat off the island nation's southeastern tip. They have been at sea for six days. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

A man walks by the fence at the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. Officials say at least four people have been hospitalized after Cypriot police rescued 60 Syrian migrants found aboard a rickety wooden boat off the island nation's souteastern tip. They have been at sea for six days. Helicopters flew the three children and one adult to a hospital after a passing merchant ship notified Cypriot authorities of the boat's presence early Wednesday. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Three minors were in critical condition and two were listed as serious.

Migrants from Syria seat inside a bus transferring them from Ayia Napa to the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. Officials say at least four people have been hospitalized after Cypriot police rescued 60 Syrian migrants found aboard a rickety wooden boat off the island nation's souteastern tip. They have been at sea for six days. Helicopters flew the three children and one adult to a hospital after a passing merchant ship notified Cypriot authorities of the boat's presence early Wednesday. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Migrants from Syria seat on a bus from Ayia Napa to the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. Officials say at least four people have been hospitalized after Cypriot police rescued 60 Syrian migrants found aboard a rickety wooden boat off the island nation's souteastern tip. They have been at sea for six days. Helicopters flew the three children and one adult to a hospital after a passing merchant ship notified Cypriot authorities of the boat's presence early Wednesday. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

A Syrian man who lives in Cyprus waves to his relatives from Syria as they sit inside a bus at the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. Officials say at least four people have been hospitalized after Cypriot police rescued 60 Syrian migrants found aboard a rickety wooden boat off the island nation's southeastern tip. They have been at sea for six days. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

While overall migrant arrivals in Cyprus have decreased significantly, arrivals by sea have nearly quadrupled from 937 in 2022 to 3,889 in 2023, with the majority coming from Syria, according to official interior ministry data. Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou emphasized that the incident serves as unfortunate evidence of how people-smuggling rings endanger lives by forcing migrants to embark on perilous journeys in unsuitable vessels.

Ioannou revealed that during a recent visit by European Union Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson to Cyprus, he highlighted the urgent necessity for the EU to establish a joint unit comprising Europol members, Lebanese officials, and Cypriot police to patrol Lebanon's borders. He plans to bring up the issue once again during his meeting with EU interior ministers in Brussels on Thursday. Additionally, Ioannou intends to propose a reassessment of the safety of certain areas within Syria to facilitate the repatriation of Syrian migrants.

The need for adequate measures to address the dangers faced by migrants and combat people-smuggling is pressing. This latest incident emphasizes the ongoing challenges within the migration crisis and the need for coordinated efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of those seeking a better life.