Cyprus says it could take up to 300, preferably Christian, refugees

European Union member Cyprus said on Sunday it would be willing to take in up to 300 migrants fleeing upheaval in the Middle East under new EU quotas, but would prefer them to be Christians. The Mediterranean island of about 1 million people is the closest European state to Syria, which lies about 100 km (60 miles) to its east. But Interior Minister Socratis Hasikos said its size meant that its reception capacity was limited.

An EU source said yesterday that the EU executive had drawn up a new set of national quotas under which member states will take in a total of 160,000 asylum-seekers to be relocated from Italy, Greece and Hungary.

Hasikos, responsible for migration policy, told state radio: "We have already stated that 260, a maximum of 300, people can be taken in ... everyone (EU member states) should pitch in. "We would seek for them to be Orthodox Christians ... it's not an issue of being inhuman or not helping if we are called upon, but to be honest, yes, that's what we would prefer." He said it would be much easier for Christians to adjust to life in Cyprus.

Despite its proximity to Syria, refugees tend to shun the island because of its isolation relative to the rest of the EU, and the difficulties of getting out. It lies almost 500 km (300 miles) east of the next EU member state, Greece, primary gateway for migrants entering the bloc via Turkey.

Slovakia and the Czech Republic have also said they would prefer Christians under any EU resettlement scheme for migrants fleeing the Middle East. Slovakia propounded the argument that the country has a tiny community of Muslim people and does not even have a mosque and therefore they believe it will be a problem for Muslims to integrate into Slovakian society.