A court has sentenced a Syrian national to three years in prison in Cyprus, over the death of a three-year-old girl who died of dehydration on a boat overcrowded with migrants. The vessel sat adrift for six days in the Mediterranean and lacked sufficient food and water.
Authorities highlighted the so-called captain’s failure to ensure safety aboard the small, ill-equipped wooden vessel, which carried 60 Syrian migrants. Prosecutors detailed that the captain instructed passengers to dispose of any water bottles to hide the boat’s origin from Lebanon. Following engine failure shortly after its departure on January 18, 2024, the passengers resorted to desperate measures to survive, including drinking seawater.
Rescue efforts by Cypriot authorities, including airlifting the child to a hospital, proved unsuccessful. Cyprus remains a primary entry point for migrants from the Middle East and Africa attempting to enter Europe, although the island has seen a decrease in migrant numbers due to stringent governmental policies. Figures show migrant arrivals dropping from over 17,000 in 2022 to approximately 6,100 in 2024.
The fall of Bashar Assad has influenced migration trends, with an increased number of Syrians opting to return home. Deputy Minister for Migration Nicholas Ioannides reported that many are either withdrawing their asylum applications or revoking their international protection status.
However, Cyprus’ handling of migrant rights has faced pushback from globalist leaders in the European Union (EU). The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judged the country for not allowing Syrian nationals to seek asylum, forcing them to return to Lebanon after keeping them at sea in October last year. The court held that Cyprus’ actions violated the human rights of at least two Syrian migrants.
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