Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou is going to Brussels on Monday to plead for further returns of rejected asylum seekers to their countries of origin.

A statement released by the interior ministry said that the 27 EU ministers responsible for migration will participate in the Council of the European Union’s Internal Affairs discussions on Tuesday to review actions taken at national and European levels to enhance the efficiency of returns for rejected asylum seekers.

Ioannou will reiterate the necessity of increasing the number of returns, which he considers a central pillar of the migration management strategy, particularly for frontline member states like Cyprus.

He will once again re-emphasise the importance of coordinated European actions to strengthen the area of returns. Emphasis will be placed on promoting collaborations between the EU and third countries, within the framework of the Action Plan for the Eastern Mediterranean.

Through a series of targeted measures implemented in recent months at a national level, Cyprus has achieved a 60 per cent increase in departures compared to 2022 and ranks among the top EU countries in absolute numbers of returns, it added.

ThecCouncil will also discuss efforts to establish mechanisms and procedures to promote legal migration, aiming to create a talent pool while limiting illegal flows and opening new legal pathways.

Ioannou is set to return to Cyprus on Wednesday.