FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE — Refugees stranded in the buffer zone since last summer have filed dozens of complaints against the Republic of Cyprus at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), according to reports.
The newspaper Alithia said 21 asylum seekers crossed from northern Cyprus into the south intending to apply for asylum, but were blocked by Cypriot police and forced back in what they described as “pushback” tactics. The group has since remained in the buffer zone for months, living in tents supplied by the United Nations.
Court documents filed earlier this year indicate the refugees are complaining of extreme heat, lack of food, and prolonged exposure to harsh conditions in open fields—circumstances they say stem directly from being denied the right to apply for asylum.
Cyprus’s Deputy Minister for Migration and International Protection, Nikolas Yoannidis, rejected the allegations, saying the refugees have received medical care and food support. He added that their documents will be reviewed in court and that the government will determine its strategy accordingly.
Yoannidis also claimed the situation is the result of Turkey’s alleged human trafficking network, which he said is sending refugees into Cyprus via the north.