An ISIS-styled video sparked anti-migrant protests in Cyprus - What foreign media isn't telling you

Police on Friday night arrested 20 people after an anti-immigration march in Limassol turned violent, and mobs vandalised property. Although the event has received much international attention, little has been put on what initially sparked the protests in Cyprus' second city.

An 18-year-old National Guard, while walking in Chloraka village in the island's west near Paphos, was abducted last week by 10 Syrians with knives, who then made an ISIS-style video and uploaded it to social media. The video was quickly deleted from social media.

The Police, nonetheless, saw the post and immediately began their investigations.

In the video, about ten Syrians, armed with knives and issuing death threats, kidnapped the teenage and took him to a secluded beach in Chloraka. The Syrians repeatedly beat him, brandished knives, threatened to kill the soldier, and made him beg for mercy.

They then uploaded the video to TikTok, sparking outrage across the country, causing protests once contained in Chloraka to inspire protests in Limassol.

Meanwhile, a 47-year-old Syrian man was then arrested for a multitude of incidents in Chloraka and will remain in custody until at least September 22.

He threatened to enter the homes of locals in Paphos and was charged with assaulting a police officer, carrying a knife, public insult and driving under the influence of drugs. He also faces charges of publishing fake news, inciting violence, theft, and embezzlement.

The people of Chlorakas have struggled to de-ghettoise their village after an influx of illegal immigrants has seen the once peaceful place skyrocket with criminality. This situation culminated into a massive protest on August 27 that descended into violence against immigrants.

Protestors shouted slogans to remove all “who live illegally in the territory of the Republic" and called for the “de-ghettoisation of Chlorakas”.

Today, the "people living in Chlorakas who are organised" issued a statement to express their unhappiness with reports on the internet about "a small group of individuals spreading false information and serious accusations against the residents of Chlorakas and their protest against segregation."

They believe these individuals aim to "generate anger in the world, portraying it as a surge of extreme nationalists, and twisting the truth to suit their own agenda."

The Chlorakas residents who participated in the protest "came from various political backgrounds and age groups" and "never supported Nazis, did not plan any attacks, did not target the Syrian community, and did not mark houses with spray paint or any other falsehoods."

According to the statement, "Unfortunately, the incidents began with provocations from Syrians who made gestures to the crowd. The incident that ignited the conflict was witnessed by journalists, who recorded it, and there were continuous provocations and troublemakers, mainly from Syrian immigrants."

The statement also mentions "evidence of these actions and the provocative behaviour of the Syrians," such as "the behaviour of the Syrian and 300 of his supporters, who threatened to cause chaos in Paphos and the National Guard's kidnapping," as well as "repeated attacks on the police, attempts to steal electricity, and marches with religious [Islamic] slogans."

The "organised residents of Chlorakas" state they "condemn violence, regardless of its source."

The latest EU data shows Cyprus has the highest number of first-time asylum applications relative to population in the 27-member bloc. Migrants and refugees comprise an estimated 6% of the country’s population, a considerable amount considering the EU’s average is only 1 per cent.

The number of migrants and refugees applying for asylum in Cyprus dropped by 53 per cent over a recent five-month period, according to Ministry of Interior data.

More than 10,600 people applied for asylum from March to July 2022, compared with 4,976 in the same period this year, the figures showed.

But police data shows a rise in the number of migrants and refugees arriving by sea, with more than 500 landing on 45 small fishing boats or inflatable dinghies in the past three months, the vast majority from Syria.

Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis reminded last week that a relevant bill for the ministry was sent to parliament in June to set up a deputy ministry of immigration.

“Effectively dealing with immigration is one of the government’s priorities. In recent months, we have witnessed a reversal of balances for the first time; departures are more than arrivals, which is the first time in several years. Already, the number of application examiners has increased, the number of pending applications has decreased, and we will continue in this direction,” he said.

READ MORE: Five Israelis arrested for alleged gang rape of British tourist in Ayia Napa.