Search and rescue operations continue following a deadly shipwreck off Cyprus’s coast that killed at least seven people, with authorities now facing questions about prior warnings from a humanitarian organisation.
The non-governmental organisation Alarm Phone has released social media posts indicating they had alerted Cypriot authorities about a vessel in distress days before the confirmed shipwreck incident.
According to documentation shared by Alarm Phone, the organisation posted on March 16: “We are concerned about ~23 people in distress on their way to #Cyprus! Yesterday evening, relatives sent us the last known position of the group. We could never reach the people in distress since.”
🆘️ from ~23 people in distress on their way to #Cyprus!
— @alarmphone (@alarm_phone) March 16, 2025
Yesterday evening, relatives sent us the last known position of the group. We could never reach the people in distress since. pic.twitter.com/5CmqfWznn2
The organisation followed this with another post the same day stating: “The @CyprusJRCC is informed but the officers only said they ‘are investigating’ and have no information to provide. We fear a #pushback is in the making! What is needed isn’t border violence but a rescue operation!”
The @CyprusJRCC is informed but the officers only said they "are investigating" and have no information to provide. We fear a #pushback is in the making! What is needed isn't border violence but a rescue operation!
— @alarmphone (@alarm_phone) March 16, 2025
A subsequent post approximately nine hours before the discovery of the shipwreck victims noted: “We have not been able to reach the people in distress anymore. Neither the #Lebanese nor the #Cypriot authorities are providing us with any information. We are worried! Where are they?”
We have not been able to reach the people in distress anymore. Neither the #Lebanese nor the #Cypriot authorities are providing us with any information. We are worried! Where are they?
— @alarmphone (@alarm_phone) March 17, 2025
Cypriot authorities have confirmed receiving the initial alert and deploying a helicopter to search the reported area without success. Officials also stated they conducted analysis of wind patterns and sea currents to determine potential drift trajectories.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) maintains that comprehensive search operations covering approximately 450 nautical miles were initiated following the reports, with search efforts continuing through the night using maritime vessels, helicopters, and drones.
Two survivors have been rescued thus far, with officials noting they are experiencing significant hypothermia and psychological distress. The survivors are expected to provide formal statements to help establish the vessel’s departure point and passenger manifest once their condition stabilises.
Conflicting reports persist regarding the vessel’s origin, with initial accounts suggesting departure from Tartous, Syria, while other sources indicate the boat may have launched from Tripoli, Lebanon.
What is a pushback
The term “pushback” refers to measures taken by states to forcibly return migrants, including asylum seekers, to the country from which they attempted to cross or have crossed an international border, without access to international protection or asylum procedures, or without any individual assessment of their protection needs.
Such actions often violate international laws, including the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to countries where they may face persecution. Pushbacks can occur both at land and sea borders.
Cyprus accused of pushbacks
Cyprus has faced accusations of conducting pushbacks against migrants and asylum seekers. In July 2024, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that Cypriot authorities forcibly removed 25 migrants from government-controlled areas to the buffer zone, denying them access to asylum procedures. The Cypriot government denied these allegations, asserting that no such pushbacks occurred.
Additionally, in October 2024, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Cyprus violated the rights of two Syrian asylum seekers by preventing them from applying for asylum and returning them to Lebanon without processing their claims. The court found this action amounted to degrading treatment.
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