From “Cyprus facing asylum onslaught through the north,” in Cyprus-Mail.com, with thanks to Effractor:
Justice Minister Doros Theodorou called on the EU to protect its external borders from illegal immigration by co-ordinating efforts of member states and applying the same policy and criteria across the union.
Cyprus” geographical position at the crossroads of three continents gave it an important role in tackling illegal immigration. The authorities charged with policing its borders are equipped with the necessary tools to identify fake travel documents, while police boats and helicopters cover air and sea, with the help of radars, said the minister.
Theodorou told the conference that the biggest wave of illegal immigrants hailed from Turkey, which gave visas to third country nationals, mainly from Muslim countries, who used these visas to enter the north. These immigrants would cross over the Green Line with the help of smuggling rings controlled by Turks and Turkish Cypriots, he said.