FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – Deputy Minister of Migration Nikolaos Ioannidis denied any abuse of a group of migrants who were stranded for an extended period in the buffer zone in Nicosia, Cyprus.
The statement came following legal petitions submitted to the European Court of Human Rights by 21 migrants, who accused Cypriot authorities of degrading treatment and forced confinement under inhumane conditions.
Ioannidis said the government will examine the legal documents and formulate its response. He maintained that the migrants received daily food and medical care.
He attributed the situation to Turkish authorities and occupying forces, alleging that they facilitate illegal smuggling networks channeling migrants through the northern part of the island.
The minister said Cyprus aims to combat these networks and safeguard the interests of the Republic.