Cyprus calls on the EU to rethink Syrian safe zones for eventually repatriating Syrian migrants

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS
Associated Press

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus has formally called on the European Union to re-evaluate which areas of Syria can be declared as safe zones that are free from armed conflict so that Syrian migrants can eventually be repatriated there. The Interior Ministry told the Associated Press Friday that Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou was the sole official to raise the issue during July’s informal gathering of his EU counterparts in Spain. No other EU nation has taken a formal position on safe zone re-evaluation. Syria has for the past 12 years has been designated as an unsafe country, making its fleeing citizens eligible for international protection status in other countries. Some 40% of all migrants seeking asylum in Cyprus are Syrians.