NICOSIA – Cyprus’ government has been ordered by The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) three Syrian Kurds deported from the island almost €17,000 in total for violating their human rights.

The Cyprus Mail said the case, filed in 2010, included 17 Syrian Kurds who applied for asylum on the island saying they were at risk of persecution and torture in their home country as they are a small minority.

Cyprus deported them in 2012 after they had illegally entered between 2004 and 2011 except for one who arrived using a tourist visa. Some returned to the island later.

The ECHR judgment in the first case, which involves a married couple currently residing in Paphos said the applicants should jointly receive €8,000 in compensation in non-pecuniary damages and €2,956 in costs and expenses.

The court said even though they were in the country unlawfully and had protested in front of government buildings that Cyprus had no right to send them back. The cases of 12 applicants were dismissed.

There was no immediate reaction from the government on whether it would obey or ignore the order, pay or not or how the illegal immigrants would get the money.

There was no reaction from other European Union countries, such as Greece, which has seen some 70,000 illegal immigrant enter this year in hopes of gaining asylum or using the country as a jumping-off point to reach other countries in the bloc.