Cyprus to host 300 migrants: Interior Minister

Cyprus will host up to 300 migrants under European Union quotas, Interior Minister Socratis Hasikos said on Monday.

"Given the small size of the country and the problems emanating from the Turkish occupation and the economic crisis, Cyprus cannot take more than 300 migrants," Hasikos said.

Cyprus was pulled back from bankruptcy in a 10 billion euros (11.15 billion U.S. dollars) bailout deal in 2013. Its northern territory was occupied by Turkish troops in 1974 in reaction to a coup by Greek army officers.

EU officials said Monday that the European Commission will propose new migrant quotas for 120,000 migrants on Wednesday, allocating 40,000 to Germany and 30,000 to France.

Hasikos was speaking 24 hours after Cypriot authorities plucked 114 migrants from a stranded fishing boat 74 km off the southeastern port city of Larnaca.

The port had departed from the Syrian city of Tartus and picked more people from Tripoli in northern Lebanon.

The migrants come from Syria, Lebanon and Palestine.

Hasikos said the migrants can travel to any EU country they like but if they are not accepted they will have to return to Cyprus under EU rules.

Some 20 of the migrants have asked for asylum in Cyprus, but the rest want to continue their travel to other EU countries, after they paid people traffickers 4,000 U.S. dollars each to take them either to Greece or Italy.

Among those rescued were five unaccompanied children who are being cared by social welfare officers.

Three people aged 47, 33 and 28 were remanded in custody by a court for eight days of Monday on suspicion that they are the people who organized the operation. Endit