Dinghy carrying 25 migrants arrives in Paphos

A dinghy carrying 25 irregular migrants was spotted off the Paphos coast on Thursday and escorted to shore.

Authorities and emergency services were alerted of a new arrival of migrants when an inflatable boat with 25 men, women and children was seen sailing off the Gulf of Polis Chrysochous.

Police believed the boat had departed from the Turkish coast and was put under surveillance.

When around six nautical miles north of the Akamas, the boat was approached by a Marine Police patrol boat and escorted to the port of Latsi.

The 7-meter-long inflatable dinghy carried 14 men, five women and six children.

They are expected to be transferred to the Polis Chrysochous police station to be processed and taken to a migrant reception centre.

Migrants leaving Turkey for the Cyprus coast have become a popular route for people smugglers in recent years and driven a huge rise in asylum seekers.

Nicosia has lobbied Brussels to take action over the “disproportionate” numbers of asylum seekers it receives, claiming Turkey has created a new Mediterranean route to the island.

Cyprus is the first European Union member to permanently host the European Asylum Support Office to help the Mediterranean island cope with a spike in migrants.