Cyprus asks EU to re-evaluate Syrian 'safe zones'

The Cypriot government has formally requested that the European Union re-examine war-torn Syria's "safe zones" so migrants can eventually be repatriated there.

Cyprus is fronting the re-evaluation bid because it says its proximity to the region has now made it a prime destination for Syrian migrants.

Ethnically divided Cyprus, with a population of nearly a million in the southern, internationally recognized part where migrants seek asylum, says migrants now comprise 6% of its population – much higher than the average in other EU member countries.