[caption id="attachment_6327" align="alignleft" width="1023"] From file: Migrants arrive near Cyprus in August 2023 | Photo: picture alliance / Joint Rescue Coordination Center via AP[/caption] Over 270 migrants in five small boats were rescued over the weekend with the assistance of the Cyprus Coast Guard and many fishing vessels, according to a Monday story in the Cyprus Times. Local publications had reported on around 500 cases by Tuesday. On Tuesday (April 2), the English version of Greek-language newspaper Kathimerini reported that more than 500 migrants arrived on Cyprus within the last 48 hours. Two boats carrying a total of 68 migrants arrived overnight between Monday and Tuesday, reported the news source. 67 of those arrivals came from Syria and one person was reported to have originated from Bangladesh. The first vessel, reported Kathimerini, was found by the Cypriot authorities at just past midnight. This included 25 men, five women, six children and seven unaccompanied minors. A second boat was intercepted at around 2:30 a.m. carrying 25 people, including 16 men, one woman, two children and six unaccompanied minors. The two boats, reported Kathimerini, are thought to have left Lebanon before being found off the Cape Greco area of the island.