Cyprus reached an agreement with Bangladesh on Saturday that will immediately expedite procedures for the return of Bangladeshi nationals from the island to their home country.

The agreement was signed during a meeting between the Interior Minister Nicos Nouris and the Minister of Home Affairs of Bangladesh Asaduzzaman Khan where they were attending the 3rd International Ministerial Conference on Combating the Financing of Terrorism in New Delhi, India.

During the meeting, the two ministers discussed ways of cooperation between the two countries in the field of migration, particularly the return of Bangladeshi nationals illegally residing in the Republic.

As a result of the discussions, the two ministers agreed on the immediate implementation of effective procedures to expedite Cyprus’ returns to Bangladesh and to remove previous bureaucratic procedures and obstacles.

This agreement is expected to significantly boost the number of returns to the country.