Athens, Dec. 13, (dpa/GNA) – Cyprus’ coastguard picked up 170 migrants on board three small cutters a few nautical miles east of the Mediterranean island on Tuesday and brought them to safety.

Among the migrants were 46 minors, 27 of whom were unaccompanied children, Cyprus Radio (RIK) reported on Wednesday, citing the coastguard. After medical examinations, all of them will be accommodated in two camps on the island, the RIK report said.

The registration and reception centres for asylum seekers in Cyprus are overcrowded and are currently being expanded with EU funding.

EU statistics show that in recent years Cyprus has recorded by far the highest number of asylum applications per year compared to other EU states relative to population size.

GNA