NICOSIA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- A boat full of migrants was escorted into Larnaca port in south Cyprus on Tuesday.
This is the first one to arrive in Cyprus after several months.
Police said a total of 33 migrants, 17 men, six women, eight infants and two children, traveled in the boat, which came from a Middle Eastern country. But no further details were given.
Police said its marine section located the eight-meter boat shortly after midday several kilometers off the coast of Larnaca.
The boat was escorted safely into the port where police started procedures to record the identity of the people on board and to allocate them to refugee centers.
A police spokesman said the country of origin will be established after questioning the migrants.
Migrant boats usually come from Lebanon, about 200 kilometers to the southeast of Cyprus.
Arrivals of refugees in boats were quite frequent several months ago. But migrants found a less dangerous means of travelling to Cyprus - just going to Turkey and then take a plane to the part of Cyprus controlled by Turkish troops. They then cross into the government controlled area over the dividing line and ask for asylum.
