48 migrants ‘voluntarily relocate’ to Germany

The interior ministry on Monday sent 48 international protection seekers from Cyprus to Germany, as part of a pilot programme on voluntary relocation.

The ministry said these were the first of many to follow in the months to come, as Germany has agreed to take a total of 500.

“This aims to tackle the migration challenges that Mediterranean countries are facing, with Cyprus in particular, which comes first in asylum seeker applications, relative to population,” the ministry said.

The mechanism aims to support ‘front-line’ states that are more affected by issues connected to migration, by offering help from other states.