Cyprus leads the EU in the proportion of immigrant departures relative to arrivals and ranks fourth in the total number of returns and expulsions, according to Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou, who spoke at a press conference on Wednesday to discuss the immigration report for 2023.
Ioannou highlighted the effectiveness of the government’s immigration policy, noting a 37% decrease in immigrant arrivals and a 50% drop in asylum applications within a year.
He stressed the need for further action in collaboration with international organisations.
The Minister detailed the voluntary return programme, which offers a financial incentive of €1,000 to €1,500, varying by the country of origin.
He reported a significant 66% increase in departures in 2023 compared to the previous year, with 782 arrivals and 1,081 departures in the last month alone, resulting in a departure rate exceeding arrivals by 138%. Ioannou anticipates this positive trend to continue into February.
In his opening remarks, Ioannou acknowledged the challenges faced by the previous government due to the significant immigration pressures on Eastern Mediterranean EU states, including Cyprus.
The focus has been on managing the high number of immigrants, with the Pournara First Reception Centre reaching over 3,000 occupants and pending asylum applications surpassing 30,000 in March 2023.
The government’s new holistic strategy comprises four key areas: reducing new asylum seeker arrivals, expediting asylum application processes, enhancing accommodation and reception conditions, and increasing the number of returns.
Ioannou addressed the issue of irregular migration, particularly from Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting that many migrants are drawn by economic prospects rather than safety concerns.
Efforts to reduce arrivals include an online campaign in countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, and Congo, detailing the actual conditions in Cyprus, and negotiating the Eastern Mediterranean Action Plan to incorporate measures against unregulated migration from Turkey.
The government has pressed the European Commission for stricter controls on arrivals via Istanbul Airport, with support from Frontex and Europol, and has taken steps to make Cyprus less appealing by reducing financial incentives and tightening work permit regulations for asylum seekers.
Further measures include enhanced surveillance in industrial areas to prevent illegal employment, a crackdown on trafficking networks, and the establishment of a specialised police unit for this purpose.
These initiatives have led to a 37% reduction in arrivals and a nearly 50% drop in asylum applications.
Ioannou contrasted Cyprus’s success with increases in asylum applications in other Eastern Mediterranean countries, noting a significant 72% decrease in young African asylum seekers in Cyprus.
He also reported on efforts to speed up asylum application reviews, reducing the average processing time from a year to three months, to further reduce this to 30 days in 2024. This acceleration has helped address the backlog, now reduced to around 26,000 cases.
Ioannou stressed that the expedited review process deters potential migrants from abusing the system for long-term residence and employment in Cyprus.
