Police were informed by the Bicommunal Contact Office that 13-year-old Majed Alashater from Syria, who had been missing for six days from his accommodation facility, has been located in the occupied areas and is in good health.
According to police, the Republic is expected to be informed tomorrow regarding the intentions of the occupation authorities about whether he will be returned to Republic authorities.
Hope for Children confirmed that the 13-year-old “attempted to reunite with his mother, who is in Turkey.”
Six-day search operation
The minor disappeared on 6 August from the facility where he resides in Nicosia. Police issued a public appeal the following day, releasing his details, but Majed remained missing until today.
All relevant authorities had been informed about the 13-year-old’s disappearance, including Social Welfare Services, whilst searches focused on airports, ports and checkpoints as required by police procedures for missing foreign nationals.
No bullying involved, officials confirm
Maria Kyratzi, Director of Social Welfare Services, had stated on Tuesday that bullying did not exist as a reason for the disappearance, dismissing public speculation about the circumstances of his leaving the facility.
Hope for Children provides details
Hope for Children provided comprehensive details about the circumstances surrounding Majed’s disappearance in an official statement. The organisation confirmed that the minor was referred to their accommodation facility by Social Welfare Services on 23 June 2025.
“During his short stay, he was particularly cooperative and charismatic, with no incident of bullying against him ever being reported or observed,” the organisation stated, dismissing media reports about bullying.
On 6 August, late in the afternoon, Majed left the facility to buy food from a nearby shop after informing the duty officer where he was going.
When his return was delayed longer than expected, shift workers went to the shop and questioned his peers. After several inquiries, a specific minor confided to the worker that Majed intended to return to his mother.
Attempted family reunification
All information converges on the fact that “the child attempted to reunite with his mother, who is in Turkey, using irregular means”.
The attempt appears to have been motivated by intense nostalgia for his mother, though this was never expressed as a desire for repatriation since his mother was not in their country of origin.
Hope for Children highlighted a critical gap in current legislation: “In the existing legal framework, there is no legal procedure for entry or resettlement of a parent from a third country for family reunification with a minor in an EU country under asylum seeker status”.
“The absence of an institutional route leads many children across Europe to desperation and sometimes dangerous choices, such as irregular movement,” the organisation added.
Broader implications
The organisation noted this disappearance raises questions about the deeper causes of departures by children with migration backgrounds, touching on broader migration policy, asylum procedures and the position of these children in host states.
Hope for Children emphasised that the primary goal for everyone must be locating missing children and ensuring their safety, whilst calling for systemic solutions to prevent such incidents.
