85 IMMIGRANTS ARRIVED AT POMOS AREA

On Friday afternoon, 85 people were found on the coast of Pomos in the district of Paphos, who ended up on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus through Turkey on a ship that left from a Turkish port.

Immediately all the competent services of the Republic remained standby while the harbor police rushed in the area. On board of the boat were 85 people from Syria, 11 women, 65 men and 9 children and infants.

Seven out of 85 immigrants are expected to appear before the District Court, who, as noted in the investigative examinations, are informal immigrants and were previously deported from Cyprus when their residence permit expired. The rest 78 were transferred to the Refugee Hosting Area in Kokkinotrimithia. Some refugees had to be transferred to Polis Chrysochous’ Hospital for preventive purposes.

The Pomos Community Council and the residents offered water and food to the immigrants who were originally transferred to Polis Chrysochous station for identification and then escorted to Kokkinotrimithia.

The immigrants reported to the investigating authorities that they disembarked from a Turkish port on Wednesday night, paying the trafficker $ 2,000 each, while in the case of a family they were given a better offer.

The Minister of Interior, Konstantinos Petridis, visited the Refugee Hosting Area in Kokkinotrimithia and pointed out that the necessary actions are being taking care especially for the children, four of which are unaccompanied. The Minister also stressed that the authorities are fully prepared to deal with possible new incidents.