Filenews 16 February 2022 - by Natasha Christoforou
The attempt by a family of five immigrants from Pakistan to cross through the buffer zone of Athienou from the occupied to the free areas in order to seek political asylum took an incredible turn. Their twin little girls, aged just three, under circumstances under investigation, disappeared, with the case fortunately having a happy ending.
The first child was found at dawn on Tuesday in the buffer zone by members of the United Nations, who handed her over to the Police. A gigantic operation was then set up in the area to locate the second child, who was finally found yesterday afternoon at the Pournara Migrant Reception Center in Kokkinotrimithia.
According to information from police sources, the parents of the two girls (who still have an infant), under the guidance of traffickers from the occupied territories, had attempted yesterday morning together with a group of other migrants from Nigeria to cross into the free areas. However, they were noticed by the occupying authorities and as a result, due to the darkness, they lost their twin daughters. They themselves returned to the occupied territories, where they were picked up by the occupying authorities, who transferred them to the so-called Nicosia police station.
One little girl disappeared in the dark, but the second was picked up by a Nigerian woman, who along with two of her compatriots boarded a car that took them to Pournara. On Tuesday afternoon, the woman told police at the Reception Center that the child was not hers. Suspicions immediately arose that this was the three-year-old, who was being sought in the buffer zone of Athienou. Through the United Nations, photographs were sent to the occupied territories and the mother identified her daughter.
From the moment the information about the disappearance of the second three-year-old was received, the Cypriot authorities sounded the alarm, with the Police transmitting to the United Nations their readiness to contribute to the investigations within the buffer zone. A major operation was set up in the area, with the United Nations deploying hiking sections as well as a helicopter.
The Police of the Republic carried out searches in the area of Athienou, while investigations were also carried out by the occupying authorities. The incident caused a great uproar among local residents. The Municipality of Athienou, through a text message, invited all residents to search both in rural premises and in the community in order to locate the child.
Meanwhile, the three-year-old girl who had been identified had been placed for a few hours under the tutelage of the Welfare Office, which undertook her transfer to the hospital, where she underwent tests.
According to an announcement by the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, the child was handed over by officers of the Social Welfare Services to her parents, at the Ledra Palace barricade, in cooperation with the Police and the United Nations. A similar procedure was followed for the second child.
