Cyprus calls for EU rethink on Syria migration as refugee numbers rise

As record numbers of Syrian refugees reach the shores of Cyprus, the Nicosia government wants the European Union to consider declaring parts of their war-torn homeland safe to repatriate them to, the Cypriot interior minister said.

"Starting a discussion to re-evaluate the issue of Syria is crucial for us," Minister Constantinos Ioannou told Reuters in an interview.

The Foreign Ministry was preparing to raise the matter formally with Brussels, he added.

Amid growing conflict in the Middle East, the Mediterranean island is bracing for a further influx of refugees and asylum-seekers, further straining resources, he said.

"We have five times more migrants than any other frontline member state," Ioannou said. Data shows most are from Syria.

Cyprus has said it is expanding its capacity to host refugees but it wants its EU partners to reevaluate its...