33 Syrians fleeing to Europe held in Romania

Thirty-three Syrians, including seven children, have been stopped by the Romanian coastguard as they were attempting to reach Europe, authorities said on Sunday. Their sailing boat was spotted seven miles (11 kilometres) off Romania's Black Sea coast with eight women, seven children and 18 men on board, the coastguard said in a statement. There were two Turkish guides on the vessels, who were also detained by authorities. "This is the first time we have caught so many migrants on a boat in the Black Sea since the end of 2011", a coastguard spokesman told AFP. It was too early to say whether the Syrians were intending to apply for asylum, added the spokesman. More and more Syrians fleeing an increasingly deadly conflict at home are attempting to breach EU borders in search of a new life. According to EU figures, a total of 11,900 Syrians were caught trying to enter the bloc in 2012, compared to just over 3,000 in each of the three years before.