Cyprus Leads in Migrant Returns, Interior Minister Praises Policy
At a recent inter-ministerial meeting in Ghent, Belgium, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou highlighted the significant strides Cyprus has made in its migrant returns policy. The meeting, attended by ministers from the European Union’s 27 member states, focused on asylum and migration issues.
Ioannou reported a 66 percent increase in the number of irregular migrants returned from Cyprus to their countries of origin in 2023 compared to the previous year. This success is attributed to Cyprus’ enhanced cooperation with Frontex, the EU’s border security agency, and the effective dissemination of information regarding its voluntary return programme. Furthermore, Cyprus has leveraged the EU’s solidarity mechanism to facilitate the relocation of migrants to other member states.
A notable feature of the Cypriot voluntary return programme is the financial incentive offered to migrants to encourage their departure. Ioannou revealed that over 1,000 individuals were repatriated between January and April 2024, marking a 42 percent increase from the same period in the previous year. These figures position Cyprus as the EU member state with the highest number of migrant returns per capita.
European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas lauded Cyprus as the “European champion of migrant returns” during his visit in March. He commended the country’s diligent efforts in managing immigration, suggesting that Cyprus has emerged from a challenging period into a more stable era of immigration control.
The meeting also delved into discussions about the new EU pact on migration and asylum, slated for full implementation by June 2026. The pact aims to assist EU countries in handling sudden increases in migrant flows and includes measures for screening third-country nationals upon entry into the EU. Changes to the Eurodac database regulations will permit indefinite storage of fingerprints and photographs of those entering illegally.
The Cypriot interior ministry praised the pact for providing member states with effective tools for migration management and embodying EU solidarity. The pact is expected to establish a common legislative framework for all member states, encompassing procedures for migrant reception, resettlement, expedited asylum application processing, and stringent legal actions against migrant smuggling.
Despite these advancements, Ioannou expressed a desire for further progress, particularly regarding the mandatory relocation of asylum seekers between member states, which remains a voluntary action under the current framework.
