Syrian man who entered north Cyprus illegally wants to be sent back home

A Syrian national who was taken to court for entering north Cyprus from the south illegally said he wants to be sent back to Syria.

The suspect who was brought to court on Friday had crossed to the north from Haspolat at around 9pm on Thursday when he was arrested.

The man who arrived in south Cyprus four years ago said human traffickers had told him that travelling to the north was his best chance of being returned to his home country.

Police in court statement said; “As stated by the suspect present before you and other Syrian nationals who came to the TRNC illegally before, they were left at the border in Lefkosia and told, ‘go to the Turkish side and they will send you to your country’”.

Police requested that the man be remanded in custody for three days “so that the investigation can be conducted smoothly.”

The man who appeared in court on Friday is the sixth Syrian national since Sunday to have been caught crossing illegally to the north.

A family of four were arrested upon arrival in the north having crossed near Ledra Palace hotel in the early hours of Sunday morning, while another Syrian man did so later in the day, before handing himself into the Turkish Cypriot police later that day.

The man was sent to prison for a period not exceeding a month on Wednesday, having reportedly “given a statement to police about which route he took” after his initial hearing.