Missing Syrian boy found safe in north Cyprus

The 13-year-old Syrian boy who disappeared from a shelter in Nicosia south Cyprus six days ago and was declared missing by the authorities has been found safe in north Cyprus, police said on Tuesday.

Efforts are now underway through the bi-communal technical committee to arrange for Majed Alashtar’s safe return to the south. Officials in north Cyprus have confirmed they will hand Majed over, as Cyprus is recognised as his parent state.

Majed is believed to have crossed into the north via the Ledra Street crossing point.

He has been under the custody of the social welfare department since his arrival in Cyprus as an unaccompanied minor.

On the night he disappeared, Majed reportedly had permission from his care givers to visit Ledra Street but did not return.

Police told the Cyprus Mail they will review how social welfare officials dismissed bullying as a cause in Majed’s disappearance. The Syrian refugee was being housed in a state-run shelter in Nicosia.

“For Mrs [Maria] Kyratzi to rule out bullying publicly, it suggests that her department conducted a thorough investigation based on testimonies collected internally. We will examine those findings as part of our inquiry,” police told the Cyprus Mail, referring to comments made earlier by the director of social welfare.

“Now that Majed has been located, our immediate priority is to confirm his health and wellbeing and to ensure his safe return before proceeding further,” they added.

Police emphasised that all possible scenarios were investigated during the search, including abduction and irregular travel.

“If Majed had travelled to a European country, we would have been informed promptly through Europol. However, tracing movements to countries without such agreements, especially in the Arab world, can be more challenging and time-consuming.”

Majed’s teachers described him as bright and well-behaved, saying he had completed primary school in June after quickly learning Greek.

Kyratzi said her department acted immediately after discovering Majed’s absence.

“We mobilised all necessary resources to gather information swiftly and handed everything to the police to assist their investigation,” she said, rejecting claims that bullying played any role in his disappearance as had been put forward by those who know him.

“Our investigations found no evidence to support the suggestion that bullying was a factor in this case,” she said.

Hope For Children, which runs the shelter where Majed was living, confirmed he was referred to their care on June 23. During his stay, he was described as cooperative and charismatic, with no reports or observations of bullying.

According to the shelter, Majed left on the afternoon of August 6 to buy food from a nearby shop, informing staff beforehand. When he did not return, standard procedures were followed, including checking with other residents. One child reportedly told staff Majed intended to return to his mother, who lives in Turkey.

The organisation said all information indicated Majed tried to reunite with his mother by irregular means, despite never expressing a wish to be repatriated, as his mother was not in their country of origin.

Hope For Children highlighted that current EU asylum laws do not provide a legal route for family reunification with parents from third countries. They said this legal gap leads many migrant children in Europe to despair, sometimes prompting risky decisions like irregular travel.

Majed’s school community expressed relief and concern. One mother told the Cyprus Mail: “We are relieved he is safe, but questions remain. Did something happen to him? Did something happen to the other children?”

Parents and teachers have contacted the commissioner for children’s rights and the education minister, urging ongoing oversight and improvements in shelter conditions.

“We do not know whether he left voluntarily or if others were involved. We cannot rely on hearsay. It is crucial to verify his safety and to assess the suitability of shelters,” they wrote in a letter to the commissioner.

Cyprus Mail