More than 140 migrants reach Cyprus by boat

Cypriot authorities said a boat carrying over 140 migrants believed to be Syrians, more than half of them women and children, was escorted to shore by the coast guard Monday near the resort of Paphos.

Police said the 143 migrants, including 31 women and 50 children, said they had set off from the Turkish port of Mersin and paid up to $2000 each for the crossing.

One person was arrested as a suspected people smuggler, while arrangements were being made to take the migrants to a reception centre outside the capital Nicosia.

Cyprus, an EU member state located 100 miles (160 kilometres) from Syria's Mediterranean coast, has not seen the massive inflow of migrants experienced by Turkey and Greece.

Since September 2014, however, over a dozen migrant boats have reached the island, bringing in more than 1,100 migrants including the latest arrivals.

The Paphos coastline has become a target for traffickers from Turkey.