Cyprus making strides in migration and demographic challenges, says expert

Cyprus is on a good track to deal with the migration issue and the demographic issue, the head of the Institute on Demographic and Migration Policy Andreas Morphitis said on Thursday during a meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides.

He noted that many of their recommendations have been adopted by state services in dealing with the issue.

After the meeting which was attended by the interior minister and the labour minister, Morphitis said: “The board of the institute is filled with feelings of relief and optimism because they found based on what they have been told by both the president and the relevant ministers that we are on a very good course in addressing the twin problems facing the country, namely demographic changes and migration.”

He said that they have submitted their views and suggestions, which are “the result of long-term study and processing of positions and ideas of the Institute for Demographic and Migration Policy”.

“It is our belief that these suggestions have not fallen on deaf ears, they have been processed and many of these suggestions have been adopted,” he said.

In response to a question, he replied that a plethora of their own proposals have been submitted, regarding “dealing with the ghettos, dealing with Syrian migrants, migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa, the employment status of asylum seekers and others”.

“It is a mesh of many proposals and addressing them holistically has shown that we have covered several of the measures we have proposed,” he said.

Morphitis added that the foundation for a correct migration policy was laid by former interior minister Nicos Nouris.