(AFP) Cyprus said Friday it is in a “state of emergency” because of an inflow of Syrian migrants that has flooded its reception centres, appealing for help from the European Union.
Cyprus has this week faced a “daily wave of migrant arrivals” by sea from the Syrian port of Tartus, Interior Minister Nicos Nouris said.
“Due to this situation and overcrowding in reception centres, I was forced to make a written representation to the European Commission,” said Nouris.
He had notified the commission that Cyprus was “entering a state of emergency as far as migration is concerned, and there is no further capacity to host additional migrants.”
Since January, almost 4,000 asylum applications have been rejected, the minister said.
