The border protection agency Frontex says irregular crossings into the EU over the Mediterranean rose last year.

The bodies of at least seven people have been recovered off Cyprus after authorities mounted a major search and rescue operation following the capsizing of a boat carrying refugees, Cyprus’s state broadcaster says.

An unspecified number of people are believed to be missing while two people were rescued on Monday from international waters about 30 nautical miles (55.5km) southeast of the island, the broadcaster said.

Cyprus’s search and rescue coordination centre said boats and aircraft were deployed as part of the rescue operation without mentioning casualties.

In an official statement, it said a search and rescue operation was “ongoing to locate missing persons after a migrant boat capsized 30 nautical miles (55 kilometres) southeast of Cape Greco”, referring to the southeastern-most point of the Mediterranean island.

Several naval helicopters and police patrol boats were involved in the search for survivors, the centre added.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, one survivor told authorities that on board were roughly 20 Syrians who had departed from the port of Tartous, the scene of recent bloodshed in Syria.

The eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus is less than 200km (125 miles) from the Syrian and Lebanese coasts and has long been a route for refugees seeking a better life in Europe.

According to United Nations figures, 125 refugees died in the eastern Mediterranean last year, but the actual figure is likely to be higher.

The European Union border protection agency, Frontex, said irregular border crossings into the EU over the eastern Mediterranean rose last year despite a broader decline in the bloc.

Nicosia said it has the highest number of new asylum seeker applications in the EU per capita but has managed to significantly reduce the figure.

Last month, the Ministry of Interior said asylum applications dropped 69 per cent from 2022 to 2024 while irregular maritime arrivals had stopped since May due to tougher government policies.

The overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December has prompted some Syrian refugees to return home. The Republic of Cyprus government reported that an average of 40 Syrians per day have requested to return home since then.

The government also said more asylum seekers were leaving Cyprus than arriving for the first time in its independent history.