Filenews 19 June 2025 - by Fanis Makrides
Private boats have become a means of repatriation or even passage to Cyprus for hundreds of Israeli citizens.
This results from an official briefing received by "F" from a competent source, in its attempt to ascertain what is the situation off Cyprus after the conflagration in the Middle East.
As we have been informed, so far we have had more than 500 arrivals by sea with private boats. The same information states that the vast majority of these 500 persons are of Israeli origin.
The checks carried out by the competent authorities of the Republic of Cyprus show that several Israelis who had relatives in Cyprus, after the start of the strikes between Iran and Israel, decided to come to our island by sea. Others, wanting to be repatriated, chose to do so in the same way.
Of course, the choice of sea travel to and from Israel was due to the closure of airspace in the Middle East due to the irregular situation and the fact that it is considered the safest method under the circumstances.
Our newspaper, attempting to obtain answers in relation to the checks carried out by the Republic, received a clear assurance that arrivals and departures through ports and marinas are considered entry and exit points from the country. This was in order to show us how the necessary checks were carried out upon the arrival of persons in Cyprus.
As he told us in particular about the entry of persons into the country by sea, "the visa is issued under the regime of the irregular situation and under specific conditions". The same person assured that there is adequate control and the situation is characterized as anything but uncontrollable.
He added that in general, for all issues concerning travellers arriving in Cyprus or departing either by air or by sea, there is an agreement between the competent Ministries and services. He referred to a mechanism that exists and referred to the Ports Authority, the airport authorities, the civil aviation, but also the three services of the Cyprus Police, i.e. the Aliens and Immigration Service (OM), the Airport Security Directorate, as well as the Port and Maritime Police.
He pointed out that this was also done in this case and in particular with regard to the choice of Israelis to travel by sea, commenting that the role and presence of the Police through competent services/departments in marinas (YAM and Coast Guard) is important.
However, the choice of Israelis for the sea voyage was widely promoted in Israel as well as on Iranian websites. The report of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz last Monday is characteristic. The publication puts forward the position that uncontrolled Israelis are fleeing their homeland. "Secretly, unsupervised for thousands of shekels: More and more people are leaving Israel by yacht through Cyprus," is its characteristic headline. It is accompanied by a photograph of the day (16/6) showing an Israeli preparing to board a boat in the marina of Herzelia.
