A total of 221 recruited armed police officers tasked with monitoring the buffer zone so as to avoid the flow of migrants from breakaway north Cyprus took the oath on Monday.
Philenews also reports that the contracted special officers – divided in three groups – will be trained for nine weeks before taking up their duties.
Specifically, one group will be trained – alternately – at the Police Academy, another at the Motorized Rapid Response Unit and the third at the Immigration and Immigration Service.
The training will mainly focus on how to handle irregular migrants, the use of weapons and the way arrests should be carried out.
At the end of their training and depending on the needs of the Force, they will be assigned to duties in all districts except coastal Limassol.
The special force with increased powers to monitor the 180km long buffer zone is a measure to address the very serious problem of irregular migration and Turkey’s own involvement.
Cyprus is still divided after a 1974 invasion by Turkey which still maintains troops in the breakaway northern part of the EU-member state in full violation of law and order.
The cost of hiring the extra staff is in the region of €10 million and will be covered by the EU.
