Cyprus has accepted nearly 3,000 Ukrainians since war started

Almost 3,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Cyprus since February 25, the interior ministry said on Wednesday, rebuffing criticism that it had not adequately responded to the crisis.

Russian invaded Ukraine on February 24.

The interior ministry said that a total of 2,935 Ukrainians had fled to Cyprus without problems, rejecting reports earlier on Wednesday that they were experiencing difficulties with entry documentation.

A critical report in Politis suggested that the ministry had not formulated a policy for Ukrainian refugees and was “watching developments with confusion”. Cyprus was not implementing the relevant European directive and was not accepting Ukrainians without biometric passports, the report said.

The ministry said what was happening in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis that has resulted, had prompted the state to activate a plan from the start.

“Cyprus facilitated Ukrainian refugees immediately and was among the first EU member states to do so, even before decisions were taken by the European Commission,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The effectiveness of our immediate response is also reflected in the fact that since the Russian invasion began, 2,935 Ukrainian citizens have arrived in Cyprus without any problems at all.”

Of those arrivals, the ministry said, 19 had sought asylum.

Criticising the Politis report, the ministry said it had even allowed entry to Ukrainian refugees whose passports had expired and others who only had an ID card.

“For us, a people who know first-hand what war and being refugees mean, our assistance to the people of Ukraine is a given,” the ministry said.

“That is why Cyprus was the first among the EU member states at the recent council meeting to support the need for a temporary protection mechanism for Ukrainian refugees.”