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Cyprus has seen a spike in irregular migration in recent years,
either by sea from neighboring Syria and Lebanon, or via a
now-closed loophole via a ceasefire line splitting the island.
"If we really want to deal with the migration issue its not
through money, or actions to deal with the phenomenon itself. It
has to be through assessing the root causes and cooperating with
countries where migrants come from," Cypriot President Nikos
Christodoulides said.
Cyprus lies about 100 miles (185 km) west of Lebanon and Syria.
Last year it saw arrivals more than quadruple from both
countries, fanning fears in Nicosia of a surge if tensions in
the Middle East engulf the broader region.
An EU member since 2004 and the closest to the Middle East,
Nicosia wants the bloc to consider declaring parts of
war-ravaged Syria safe, which would allow authorities to
repatriate people arriving from there.
"I'm aware of the sensitivities around this," said
Christodoulides. "There are areas in Syria where we have to
examine whether they are safe, and by extension, if migrants
from those specific areas can be returned.
I don't think its right for the EU not to discuss this," he
said.
(Reporting By Michele Kambas; editing by David Evans)
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