AUTHORITIES on Monday asked some 340 refugees rescued from a fishing trawler last week to put their requests in writing, separately for each one, after some appointed themselves leaders and spoke on behalf of everyone.
The camp where they are hosted, near Kokkinotrimithia, was visited by Interior Minister Socratis Hasikos who told them that those with a clean bill of health would be free to travel anywhere they wanted or apply for asylum in Cyprus.
“Some may wish to leave the camp, as is their right – they are not illegal immigrants,” Hasikos said. “Others may wish to apply for asylum – that is their prerogative, too. And some others may be able to afford to travel to wherever it is they want to travel. We will look at each case individually and act accordingly.”
An EU country however, could deny them entry and send them back to Cyprus.
