The Cypriot coastguard and fishing boats have rescued more than 270 migrants travelling to the east coast of the island in five overcrowded boats, the highest number rescued in months, according to a report in the Cyprus Times on Monday.

Authorities in Cyprus are now on alert, the report said.

Since the beginning of the year 2,675 migrants have arrived in Cyprus – an average of 30 per day – according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Not all migrants cross the sea. Some travel through the Turkish-occupied north of the island across the green buffer zone to the southern part, which is a member of the European Union.

On Sunday, the coastguard initially reported 120 migrants in two boats off the east coast, but said during the day three more boats were found, one of which had 179 people on board.

The migrants were taken to reception centres west of the capital Nicosia. Four people who are believed to be smugglers were detained, the newspaper reported.

Cyprus has recorded by far the highest number of asylum applications per year compared to other EU states in terms of population size in recent years, according to EU statistics.