The Cypriot Authorities announced the rescue of 86 irregular migrants after their boat was facing difficulties near the southeastern coast of the Mediterranean island.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Cyprus stated, in a statement, that it had received information about a boat carrying migrants facing the danger of drowning, pointing to the participation of a marine police boat and two speedboats in the rescue operation near the tourist city of Ayia Napa.
It stated that during the operation, 61 men, six women and 19 children were rescued and returned to the beach safely, unless their nationalities or the place from which the boat departed were revealed, pending their transfer to a shelter for immigrants in the capital, Nicosia.
Cypriot Authorities say there is an increase in the number of migrants arriving by boat, with a 60 percent increase recorded in the first five months of 2023 compared to last year.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency