The actions and proposals of the Republic of Cyprus to address the migration issue will be discussed on Tuesday at a meeting between the Minister of Interior, Constantinos Ioannou, and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, who is paying Cyprus a visit. Among other issues, they will discuss the status of Syria, the Pact on Migration and progress regarding Cyprus’ Deputy Ministry of Migration.
Speaking to CNA, the spokesperson of the Interior Ministry, Margarita Kyriakou, said that the Interior Minister will present the strategy implemented by the Republic of Cyprus on the migration issue and the initiative of Cyprus to reevaluate Syria’s status by the European Union and the need for a reassessment based on the current data.
Kyriakou explained that twelve years ago, with the civil war in Syria, Syrians were temporarily granted refugee status, but this, she went on, tends to become a permanent one.
She added that while there is no possibility of repatriation, at the same time many peopl
e who are arriving now or others who arrived previously in Cyprus travel to Syria for whatever reason and return, either through the island’s Turkish-occupied areas or the airports of the Republic of Cyprus.
Kyriakou pointed out that this fact shows that “obviously the situation in Syria is no longer this dangerous, at least in some areas”.
Kyriakou noted that the Interior Minister will also discuss with the Commissioner the Action Plan for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Pact on Migration and Asylum, which was recently adopted by the European Parliament.
She also said that the Minister will also provide information on the progress of the Deputy Ministry of Migration, on the infrastructure of reception facilities and the upgrades that have been made, as well as on the Action Plan for the integration and inclusion of migrants in Cypriot society, which is currently in draft form.
At the same time, according to Kyriakou, the Minister of Interior will inform the Commissioner about the migration flows, i.e.
the arrivals and departures that have taken place.
The Commissioner’s programme
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According to information from the European Commission Representation in Cyprus, Commissioner Johansson will visit the Zenon Coordination Centre (JRCC) tomorrow at 09:00 in the morning (local time), while at 11:00 she will have a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Marilena Evangelou.
A meeting with the Minister of Interior, Constantinos Ioannou, will take place at 12:00, followed by a press point at 13:00. At 14:45 she will pay a visit to the Pournara Reception Centre, while at 16:00 the Commissioner will have a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Kombos.
At 17:30, Johansson will have a meeting with stakeholders, UNHCR and NGOs working on migration and asylum issues.
Source: Cyprus News Agency