Stranded in the Buffer Zone: Asylum Seekers Face Dire Conditions in Cyprus

Around 40 asylum seekers have been stranded in a U.N. controlled buffer zone in Cyprus for over three months due to the island's divided conflict and tough migration policies. The migrants, including men, women, and children, live in precarious conditions with inadequate facilities, sparking concern from the United Nations.

Asylum seekers have been stranded in a U.N. controlled buffer zone in Cyprus for weeks, caught in the island's conflict and tough migration policies.

For over three months, around 40 people have been trapped in no-man's-land, in what is becoming a battle of wills between a government refusing entry and the United Nations, which insists Cyprus is obliged to accept them under international conventions. The stalemate leaves men, women, and children stuck at two locations along the 180 km line dividing Cyprus, living in flimsy tents with no running water or electricity. Conditions include chemical portaloos, makeshift showers, and severe heat.

"This is not viable and we are really concerned about the safety and well-being of the people stranded here," said Emilia Strovolidou of the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR). Most migrants traveled from Turkey to breakaway north Cyprus and are attempting to cross into the internationally recognized south before being stopped by authorities. The Cypriot migration ministry declined to comment but previously stated that Turkey should take the migrants back. "We are calling the government of Cyprus to ensure effective access to the asylum process and to dignified living conditions as international refugee law provides," Strovolidou added.

(With inputs from agencies.)