At Least Seven Dead After Refugee Boat Capsizes Off Cyprus

At least seven bodies have been recovered off the coast of Cyprus following the capsizing of a boat carrying refugees, Al Jazeera reports, citing Cyprus’s state broadcaster.

A major search and rescue operation was launched after the incident.

The broadcaster reported that an unspecified number of people are still believed to be missing, while two individuals were rescued on Monday from international waters approximately 30 nautical miles southeast of the island.

Cyprus’s search and rescue coordination center confirmed in an official statement that a search and rescue operation is “ongoing to locate missing persons after a migrant boat capsized 30 nautical miles southeast of Cape Greco,” the southeastern-most point of the island. The statement did not mention the casualties.

Naval helicopters and police patrol boats are involved in the search for survivors, according to the center.

The Cyprus News Agency reported that one survivor told authorities the boat carried approximately 20 Syrians who had departed from the port of Tartous, which has recently experienced violence in Syria.

Cyprus, located less than 125 miles)from the Syrian and Lebanese coasts, has long been a transit route for refugees seeking to reach Europe.

According to United Nations figures, 125 refugees died in the eastern Mediterranean last year, though the actual number is likely higher.

The European Union border protection agency, Frontex, reported an increase in irregular border crossings into the EU via the eastern Mediterranean last year, despite a broader decline in crossings across the bloc.

Nicosia has stated that it receives the highest number of new asylum seeker applications per capita in the EU but has managed to significantly reduce this number. Last month, the Ministry of Interior reported a 69 percent drop in asylum applications from 2022 to 2024, with irregular maritime arrivals ceasing since May due to stricter government policies.

The reported overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December has prompted some Syrian refugees to return to their home country. The Republic of Cyprus government stated that an average of 40 Syrians per day have requested to return home since then.

The government also reported that, for the first time in its independent history, more asylum seekers are leaving Cyprus than arriving.