Three migrants suspected of living illegally in Cyprus fell from balconies and windows during a large-scale raid by immigration authorities in the city of Larnaca, suffering injuries, some of them severe, state broadcaster RIK reported on Wednesday.
At least 10 migrants were arrested during the operation, according to the report.
One of the men fell from the fourth floor into an inner courtyard and sustained serious head injuries. His condition was described as critical.
Shortly afterwards, emergency responders discovered two other injured men in another area behind the building. All three were taken by ambulance to a hospital in Larnaca.
Police, rescue services and firefighters were deployed in large numbers, while authorities cordoned off five apartment blocks in the area.
Residents told reporters that people had been living illegally for some time in several vacant flats inside the buildings, which witnesses described as being in very poor condition.
According to local media, the operation by Cyprus’s immigration and migration authorities targeted people staying in the country without valid residence permits. Checks were carried out in several districts of Larnaca.
According to Eurostat data, Cyprus and Spain ranked second in the European Union in 2025 for first-time asylum applicants per capita, with 2.9 applicants per 1,000 inhabitants. Greece recorded the highest rate, with 5.3 asylum applicants per 1,000 residents.
