Waiting time for migrants at Pournara slashed

A 50-point action plan for migrant integration is set to go for approval before cabinet at the beginning of March, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Monday, announcing improvements in migrant facilities in Cyprus.

Speaking to CyBC in the morning, the minister said that works to improve facilities at Pournara reception centre are almost complete and will include an upgraded medical centre.

He added that there have also been improvements in processing applications, resulting in Pournara housing about 500-600 people, and time at the centre being reduced to only two to three weeks instead of months.

The minister also said that work has already begun on the ‘Limnes’ pre-departure facility for those electing to go elsewhere or return voluntarily to their departure country.

He said that last year alone, a total of 1,700 people chose to move on to different EU countries, as part of the solidarity framework for member states to take migrants from frontline countries, such as Cyprus.

Regarding ‘Limnes’, he said that work began on the facilities in the summer.

“Cabinet is set to receive [the plan] for approval,” Ioannou said.

He added that it will touch on a variety of sectors to help migrants integrate into Cypriot society. The plan will focus on education, employment, health and housing for approved asylum seekers or temporary protection status holders.

Giving some details about the plan, Ioannou said that special reference will be made to empowering women to get jobs and in relation to health service information, migrants will also be able to get information on mental health.

Ioannou also commented on the proposal to have some of Syria’s areas re-evaluated and designated as safe.

This was another issue that he also discussed recently with EU Commissioner on Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, who visited last week.

He added that apart from Johansson, he has also discussed the matter with the UNHCR and the European Asylum Office.

“It [Syria’s status] needs to be re-evaluated. It is a matter of time until it happens,” he said.

He added that the EU is finally tabling the matter for discussion, saying that he has data of people with temporary protection status in Cyprus that have gone back and forth frequently to Syria.

Ioannou said that these things make it also difficult to have the migrants integrate into Cypriot society, because some cases of people with temporary protection status have had it for twelve years, making it unnecessary for them to integrate.

“They [the EU] are admitting re-evaluation is needed,” he said.

He also said that data recently on arrivals shows that mostly young men are coming to Cyprus and unaccompanied minors, which is also complicates integration.

For children, he said it is difficult because they are without their parents or guardians, something they need to help integrate and survive, while for young men he said the issue is that they already have lived in certain situations that make it harder to make them a part of Cypriot society.

Also, he pointed out that in 2023, Cyprus had very positive results in terms of migrant arrivals and returns.

Specifically, arrivals decreased by 50 per cent and at the same time, Cyprus is in the first place among the EU member states in terms of migrant returns. In 2023 an increase of 66 per cent in returns was recorded, compared to 2022.