NICOSIA, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- A Cypriot court sentenced a Syrian refugee boat captain to three years in prison on Friday for negligence leading to the death of a three-year-old girl during a sea crossing from Lebanon a year ago.
The court heard that the captain ordered 60 passengers to discard food and water to conceal their departure point, local media reported.
The overcrowded wooden boat lacked navigation or communication equipment and drifted for six days after an engine failure. Left without provisions, passengers resorted to drinking seawater or urine.
When a Cypriot patrol boat discovered them, a three-year-old girl was unconscious, along with other children and an adult. The girl later died in the hospital. Six children were hospitalized, and three passengers were treated for fractures.
Meanwhile, Cypriot migration authorities have reported a surge in Syrian refugees withdrawing asylum applications since December, following political changes in Syria. More than 1,300 Syrians have applied for repatriation, and 755 had already left by January 2025. ■
