The paradox that Syria is considered in its entirety as unsafe, while thousands of Syrian refugees who were settled in Lebanon have recently taken refuge there, was highlighted by the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Marios Hartsiotis, in his address at the proceedings of the Council of Justice and the Interior of EU Affairs held on 10 and 11 October in Luxembourg.
“It is time to reassess the situation in Syria, so that the possible designation of some of its areas as safe will allow the return to them of Syrian nationals, especially those deemed to be a risk to public order and the national security of member states,” he said in his intervention during the debate in the Council, which examined, among other things, the situation in the Schengen area and the implications of the armed conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and elsewhere for the security of the EU.
A press release circulated by PIO says that “the Minister’s position received a positive response from a significant number of his colleagues.
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Hartsiotis also stressed that strengthening the resilience of the EU’s external borders should be a constant priority amid growing security threats stemming from the geopolitical situation.
As far as Cyprus is concerned, the Minister of Justice said that the greatest risk comes from the potential increase in irregular migration flows, through which it is possible to infiltrate criminal elements possibly connected to terrorist groups, as reported.
Hartsiotis suggested strengthening border surveillance by utilizing technology and intensifying cooperation between Member States (MS), also highlighting the important role played by Frontex and EUROPOL.
During the second day of the Council’s proceedings, the course of implementation of the EU Action Plan against Racism was discussed, among other things. Hartsiotis in his presentation stated that the issue becomes even more important for the Republic of Cyprus after its election as a member of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations for the period 2025-2
027. This election, he noted, is a recognition of our country’s efforts to promote and protect human rights. It will also enable a more active contribution to the planning and implementation of actions for the protection of human rights internationally.
On the sidelines of the Council, the Minister had an introductory meeting with the Director General of the Secretariat of the Council of the EU for Justice and Home Affairs, Christine Rodge, with whom he discussed procedural issues concerning the preparation of the Ministry in view of Cyprus taking over Presidency of the Council of the EU in January 2026. It was agreed that, for better coordination, contacts of the Secretariat both with officials of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order as well as with the Minister himself will be set in motion soon.
According to the press release the discussion that Hartsiotis had with Denmark is also considered important, since the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, which is part of the Poland-Denmark-Cyprus Tr
io, will take place immediately before the assumption of the Presidency Council by Cyprus.
Source: Cyprus News Agency