Cyprus’ Interior Minister, Constantinos Ioannou, has expressed the government’s determination to improve even more the positive outlook as regards immigration, stating that Cyprus could be an example for the rest of Europe in the management of the problem.
Addressing on Friday a conference on immigration in Limassol organised by the Democratic Party (DIKO), the Minister presented the government’s immigration policies, noting that the current administration was called upon to manage ‘an extremely difficult situation’ since, as he said, the country’s reception and hospitality system was under ‘suffocating pressure’ with efforts focusing primarily on the management of the disproportionate number of immigrants.
Ioannou noted that as a result of the actions taken in the past year by the current administration, a 37% decrease in arrivals has been recorded, as well as almost 50% less asylum applications.
In addition, an 80%, ‘steep decrease’ has been recorded, especially among new asylum seekers from African coun
tries, ‘which shows that the problem with mass arrivals from Africa has largely been resolved’, he said. Among other things, the Minister said that in 2023, a 66% increase in departures was recorded, compared to 2022, noting that this trend was also recorded in January 2024, as 782 people arrived in the country and 1,081 left.
The Minister also said that, in contrast to Cyprus, ‘where the number of asylum applications decreased significantly, in the rest of the European countries of the Eastern Mediterranean there was a significant increase’, noting that Cyprus, ‘having implemented targeted measures’, ranks first in the EU in terms of the percentage of departures on arrivals and fourth in numbers of returns.
The large number of Syrian nationals who arrive to Cyprus through sea routes from Syria or Lebanon, was ‘a particular problem’, he said, noting that the government ‘urgently’ raises the issue with the EU competent bodies, calling for more action. He said that the government has been reassured of the com
mitment for the creation of a coordination team, under the umbrella of Europol with the participation of the prosecuting authorities of Cyprus and Lebanon, in order to strengthen the effort to coordinate the two services through the expertise of the organisation.
He also said that the Cypriot government has been promoting an initiative since last summer with the aim of discussing and reassessing at EU level, the status of Syria on the basis of the real data prevailing in the country at the given time and following the assessment made by the European Union Agency for Asylum, according to which areas of Syria are considered safe.
Ioannou also referred to the importance attached to immigrants’ integration and social inclusion which is why, he noted, the government is working on an integrated policy which includes 50 actions concerning housing, employment, improving skills, education and health.
Reiterating ‘the determination of the Christodoulides’ government to further improve the positive image it has achie
ved in recent months’, he expressed the conviction that the newly established Deputy Ministry of Immigration is expected to contribute to this.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
