A video obtained by philenews appears to show a United Nations peacekeeper assisting migrants to cross from the buffer zone into areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus.
The footage purportedly shows a UN member guiding 44 migrants through the buffer zone towards Republic-controlled territory. These individuals reportedly arrived by boat in the bay of Morphou the previous evening.
Sources claim the migrants were transported to the buffer zone near the Avlona-Peristerona area. When they attempted to enter the Republic of Cyprus, constables of the Cypriot Police reportedly blocked their entry.
The video allegedly captures a UN official intervening at this point, encouraging the migrants to enter the Republic despite the police presence. The official is said to have discouraged the group from returning northward to the occupied areas, stating, “Leave, it’s dangerous.”
In-Cyprus contacted UNFICYP which dismissed the allegations that peacekeepers are aiding migrants to enter Cyprus as unfounded.
“Any suggestion that peacekeepers are acting outside the terms of their mandate is wrong and misleading,” UNFICYP’s spokesperson Aleem Siddique said.
He added that their priority is to “find a sustainable solution to a growing humanitarian issue inside the buffer zone.”
The 44 individuals remain within the buffer zone.
