Cypriots row over borders amid migrant and coronavirus fears
President criticised for closing gates between south and north for first time since 2003
Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades: ‘We acknowledge human suffering. But at the same time, we must take measures against efforts to alter the demographic character of our country.’ Photograph: Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images
Migrants coming to Cyprus from Turkey, and the coronavirus, are creating friction between the Cyprus republic and the Turkish-Cypriot north.
The flow of economic migrants and Syrian refugees from the Turkish mainland via the north or in boats has risen steadily in recent years and dramatically since January.