In the first half of 2026, the number of illegal arrivals in the country decreased by 92% compared to the same period in 2022, and the number of new asylum applications decreased by 93%. This was announced by Nikolaos Ioannidis, Deputy Minister for Migration and International Protection, presenting the results of the state migration policy.
According to the official, the country’s authorities have moved from a passive response to migration flows to a more stringent control system. The new strategy is based on providing international protection only to those who are truly entitled to it, speeding up the return of persons without legitimate grounds for staying in the country, and developing legal labor migration channels.
One of the main success factors was the strengthening of the protection of maritime borders and the Green Line, the expansion of cooperation with countries of origin and transit of migrants, the fight against trafficking networks, as well as the reduction of abuse of the asylum system.
The number of pending asylum applications has also decreased significantly. If in the summer of 2024 there were about 24 thousand of them, then by the end of June 2026 the figure had decreased to 14 thousand, and in July it dropped below the mark of 13,5 thousand.
The authorities paid special attention to the appeals of Syrian citizens. The number of new applications from Syrians decreased by almost 97% compared to the first half of 2024. In addition, about two thousand applications were rejected, and about 5.2 thousand more Syrian citizens voluntarily refused international protection or withdrew their applications and returned to their homeland after the change of power in the country in December 2024.
The Government of Cyprus has called on Syrian citizens who no longer meet the conditions for obtaining international protection to take advantage of the updated voluntary repatriation program. It is valid until October 30, 2026. The authorities stressed that foreigners who do not have a legal right to stay in the country must leave Cyprus voluntarily, otherwise they will be subjected to forced return procedures.
Since the beginning of 2026, Cyprus has already organized more than 4,1 thousand returns of third-country nationals, and by the end of July, the total number of voluntary and forced departures exceeded five thousand people.
At the same time, the authorities stressed that legal migration remains an important part of government policy. At the end of June, there were about 194,000 residence permits for third-country nationals in the country. According to the Deputy Minister, this mechanism allows meeting the labor needs of the economy and fully complies with national and European legislation.
In parallel, the digitalization of migration services continues. Electronic residence permit renewal is already available for five categories of permits, which should simplify the interaction of foreign citizens with government agencies.
The results of Cyprus’ presidency of the Council of the European Union were summed up separately. One of the key achievements was the completion of negotiations on a new EU Regulation on the return of migrants. The document provides for accelerated deportation procedures, expands the capabilities of Member States in relation to persons who pose a threat to public safety, and also creates a legal basis for the functioning of return centers in third countries in compliance with international and European law.
During the presidency, the first single European list of safe countries of origin was also approved, the concept of a safe third country was revised, and the implementation of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum began. According to the Cypriot authorities, these decisions confirm that even small states are able to exert a significant influence on the formation of a pan-European migration policy.
Source: alphanews.live
https://cyprusbutterfly.com.cy/news/kipr-rezko-sokratil-nelegalnuyu-migracziyu
