15 third country nationals repatriated

Fifteen third country nationals who were in Cyprus illegally have been repatriated in cooperation with Frontex, the EU’s border and coastguard agency, police said on Wednesday.

The 15 were repatriated on Tuesday on a joint flight with Greek authorities.

This is the fifth repatriation so far this year. With Tuesday’s operation, the total number of deportations and voluntary returns of third country nationals carried out by police in cooperation with other authorities in the first half of this year totals 2,469.

These repatriations concern third country nationals living illegally in the Republic against whom decisions for their return to their country or deportation decrees have been issued.

In total in 2019, 417 third-country nationals were repatriated to their home countries, in 2020, 1,272 were repatriated, while in the year 2021, the number of repatriations rose to 2,320.

Under Cyprus’ voluntary return programme, third-country nationals are eligible for up to €300 cash assistance provided by the Civil Registry and Migration Department. Returnees are also provided with a free return ticket to their home country and pre-departure support.

People eligible for voluntary departure are asylum seekers, refused asylum seekers and regular and irregular migrants.