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Cyprus police coax ashore migrants rescued by Salamis ship

Cyprus police coax ashore migrants rescued by Salamis ship
Police in Cyprus have convinced nearly 300 migrants believed to be Syrian refugees to leave a cruise ship that rescued them from a distressed fishing boat.

After Salamis Filoxenia picked up the people approximately 50 nautical miles south of Pafos, the cruise ship docked at Limassol Thursday night. Sixty-five people left the ship but the rest reportedly insisted on being taken to Italy, the BBC reports.

BBC said police persuaded the migrants to leave the ship early Friday.

The news service said 300 Russians who were to continue their cruise to Haifa, Israel, aboard Salamis Filoxenia had their voyage canceled and were housed in Limassol hotels.

Salamis Filoxenia was called to assist in the rescue after authorities received a distress signal from the fishing boat.

The 15,400gt Salamis Filoxenia has capacity for 800 passengers and is operated by Limassol-based Salamis Cruise Lines.

In a statement Thursday the company said its passengers 'are being well taken care of ... and we are ready to offer humanitarian help to the shipwreck survivors.'

 

TAGS: people ships