Justice minister calls for more Frontex help

Justice Minister Anna Procopiou called for the assistance of EU border agency Frontex on Tuesday for all procedures surrounding the management of migratory flows.

Addressing the Economist’s Annual Cyprus Summit, she said the geopolitical realities in the region do not leave much room for flexibility in terms of not accepting migratory flows, with the situation becoming more difficult following the war between Israel and Gaza.

Procopiou added the ministry is working on a new security equation based on the fact that the boundaries between external and internal security are becoming increasingly blurred, with Cyprus currently facing a continued influx of migrants.

According to the minister, this has raised security concerns that are not only limited to terrorism, but also include trafficking and smuggling.

“We cannot deal alone with what is happening in the region and the problems created by migratory flows. Therefore, one cannot stress enough the importance of Frontex’s assistance in all the processes needed to deal with what is happening, or how important diplomatic efforts are for this purpose,” she stressed.