According to the newspaper, the video depicts the refugees being stopped by contract private police officers as they were about to cross into South Cyprus. The UN allegedly intervened, encouraging the refugees to enter South Cyprus without permission, while warning them to avoid returning to the entry point in Northern Cyprus by saying, “run, it’s dangerous“.
The newspaper claimed that a Greek Cypriot informed a UNFICYP official that the 44 refugees, consisting of 40 Syrians and 4 Palestinians, had illegally entered South Cyprus. The UN had reportedly allowed them to pass through the buffer zone. The paper argued that the UNFICYP soldier had no response to this claim.
The report also expressed concerns within the Greek Cypriot Administration regarding the role of UNFICYP soldiers and their “collusion” with Turkish forces. It suggested that while UNFICYP complained about the Greek Cypriot Administration’s repatriation of refugees, it simultaneously facilitated their movement into South Cyprus.
UNFICYP Spokesperson Alim Sıddık
Following the video’s release, a journalist asked for a statement from UNFICYP Spokesperson Alim Sıddık. The newspaper noted that Sıddık denied the allegations that UNFICYP soldiers were assisting refugees into South Cyprus. Before making further comments, Sıddık wanted to personally review the video’s content and stated that suggestions of UNFICYP soldiers acting beyond their authority were incorrect and misleading.
In a subsequent statement, Sıddık expressed concern over the Greek Cypriot Administration continuing to bring refugees into the buffer zone despite repeated objections. He mentioned that in recent days, numerous refugees were blocked from applying for asylum, and many were taken to the buffer zone by Greek Cypriot police against the objections of UNFICYP and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Following Sıddık’s statement, the South Cyprus Migration and International Protection Undersecretariat issued a response, rejecting his claims. They referred to the testimonies of refugees arriving from Turkey to Cyprus, calling on Turkey to respect international law and condemning Sıddık’s comments.
The statement also highlighted the fact that Turkey is considered a safe country for refugees and is responsible for facilitating their access to rights. South Cyprus emphasised that it could not bear the consequences of Turkey’s “negligence” and that Turkey should take responsibility for the refugees allegedly crossing from Turkey to Northern Cyprus and then to South Cyprus.
