Syrians seeking refuge at a British base. Cyprus on the front line (Maj2)
(B2) Several migrant boats have arrived at the Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri in Cyprus (near Limassol) the UK Ministry of Defense has confirmed. At least two boats (four according to some reports) carrying a hundred migrants have landed on the shore of one of the two enclaves of "British sovereignty" in Cyprus.
Asylum in Cyprus but not in the UK?
But no question of granting asylum to nationals on British territory “We have had an agreement in place with the Republic of Cyprus since 2003 to ensure that the Cypriot authorities take responsibility in such circumstances. a Defense Ministry spokesperson said, adding. " Our priority is (elsewhere) to make sure everyone on board is well ».
A status not so obvious
Yet according to the British press, the solution is far from obvious. The daily The Guardian recounts how several dozen refugees live today in a kind of no man's land, with no real status. 21 refugees who arrived earlier were accommodated at Dhekelia (the second British base on the island, near the "buffer zone" with Northern Cyprus), in a place called Village Richmond, in the former quarters reserved for British military families which were to be demolished. A “bushy and isolated” corner. This group today forms a group of 67 people “ with the children who were born there and the family members who joined them later ».
Cyprus on the front line?
The island of Cyprus has been rather spared so far by the waves of refugees from Syria. According to UNHCR, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 2.000 Syrians have arrived since 2011. Only a few have been granted refugee status. The others only have temporary protection status or are awaiting decisions on their status.
The island of Cyprus, however, is the closest European territory to Syria. The north of the island (under Turkish occupation) is very close to the Syrian coast (notably Latakia): about 60 nautical miles. This is where one of the bases of British sovereignty (Dhekelia) is located on the 'buffer zone', the UN separation line between the part under Turkish control and under the government of Cyprus. While the other base of British sovereignty - placed in the south of the island - is a little further: Akrotiri is 150 nautical miles from the port of Tartous in Syria. After Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, could the Cypriot island become the landing place for thousands of refugees?
(Update 22.10) The Cypriot authorities have announced that they will take care of the refugees arriving at the British base. An announcement that delights the spokesperson for the British Ministry of Defence. " The British government has been clear that it will only allow a new migration route to the UK to be opened welcomed the spokesman for the British Ministry of Defense (1) who recognizes, all the same, a small mess between Cypriots and British to welcome and treat all the refugees (a hundred!). " It takes some time. (Waiting for), the migrants will be housed overnight in the Sovereignty Base area, where the military will continue to provide them with access to food, water and beds. He adds, however, that he " has no effect on military operations conducted at the base “, which serves as a rear base in particular for operations in Syria or Iraq.
(NGV)
(1) The British Position
We have been clear that RAF Akrotiri is not a route through which people will be able to get to the UK.
In accordance with existing agreements, officials from the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) in collaboration with the SBAA continue to process the migrants and deal with all asylum claims through their system.
We will not be providing a running commentary but can confirm that a small number of the migrants have already claimed asylum.
As a precautionary measure, a temporary transit facility is being provided at an appropriate location on the Sovereign Base Area should it become necessary to move the migrants.
