The United Nations Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) Cyprus spokesperson Emilia Strovolidou urged the country on Friday to stop forcibly pushing away Syrian refugee boats arriving from Lebanon in violation of international human rights law and the principle of non-refoulment, according to reports from the Associated Press and European human rights group EuroMed Rights. Strovolidou said authorities’ use of “violent” tactics to “destabilize” boats in order to thwart refugees from arriving on its shores is contrary to its obligations under international law.

Cyprus has been facing an increase in refugee arrivals since the beginning of 2024 compared to the previous year. The country announced last week it will be suspending the processing of Syrian refugees’ asylum applications amid continuous arrivals and expressed concern over the increasing number of migrants, as over 1,000 people have arrived on boats from Lebanon this month. The country reported that the increase in refugee arrivals is due to mounting regional tensions.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides met with the President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen to discuss the management of the increased migration flows from Lebanon in the past few months and to input specific measures aimed at preventing this phenomenon through more active involvement of the EU.

According to AP, a Cypriot official denied the allegations that authorities were using force to push back refugee boats and insisted that the government duly acts in accordance with its obligations under international law. The official further reported that Cyprus is working with the EU Commission to assist Lebanon in dealing with boat departures. He assured that the deal would not violate Syrians’ human rights as it would not lead to their being deported back to their country, though they would lose allowances, benefits and the right to work in an attempt to deter refugees from arriving in Cyprus.