Cyprus saves 45 Syrian migrants from boats in distress

Cypriot emergency services rescued 45 Syrian migrants from two boats after receiving information that they were in distress near a coastal tourist resort, authorities said Friday. The eastern Mediterranean island's Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said it had brought ashore 29 men, five women and 11 children who had been afloat off Cape Greco on Thursday evening.

Police said they were in good health and had been transferred to a migrant reception centre on the outskirts of the capital Nicosia. Cypriot authorities say there has been a rise in migrants arriving by boat, with a 60 percent increase recorded in the first five months of 2023 compared with last year.