Syrian national arrested in north after fleeing Republic

A Syrian national appeared in court in the north on Saturday after having illegally crossed the Green Line from the Republic on Friday evening.

The man, who according to the Turkish Cypriot police is a legal resident in the Republic, was arrested at around 5.30pm after crossing into the north in an as-yet-undisclosed location in Nicosia.

He was detected by Turkish Cypriot soldiers on duty on the Green Line and was subsequently arrested.

In court, the police’s representative said the man had no ties to the north, and that as such it would be “highly likely” that he would flee if released on bail. As such, the judge ordered that he be held in custody for a period not exceeding two months subject to a trial.

The man’s arrival in the north is the latest in a string of Syrian nationals crossing illegally from the Republic, with multiple people having been arrested throughout the course of the summer while making similar journeys.