Ninety-four people have been arrested so far this year in connection with human smuggling offences, head of the Police Aliens and Immigration Unit Petros Zenios said on Monday as efforts to combat illegal immigration to Cyprus progress well.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, Zenios said the ongoing operations are part of a wider police strategy to tackle smuggling and curb illegal immigration.

“Last year’s total number of arrests for trafficking amounted to 155. So far this year, 94 people were arrested, meaning we are consistent with last year’s numbers,” Zenios said.

“What is also important is that we reduced the number of illegal arrivals consistently compared to last year.”

He also reported significant success in achieving the goal of increasing deportations while reducing the flow of illegal immigrants into Cyprus.

Since the beginning of the year, 6,800 individuals residing illegally in the Republic have been repatriated. This compares to approximately 6,000 during the same period last year.

Zenios attributed these positive results to clear objectives focused on four main pillars: monitoring the Republic’s maritime borders and the Green Line, dismantling networks involved in human smuggling, identifying those residing and working illegally in Cyprus, and removing individuals who are not legally present in the country.

Meanwhile, the Famagusta district court on Monday sentenced a 24-year-old man to 30 months in prison for his role in facilitating the illegal entry of third-country nationals into the Republic.

The man was found guilty of aiding the unauthorised entry of 23 individuals from a non-EU country into the territory.

The incident occurred on December 4, 2023, when the 24-year-old was apprehended by authorities in the Famagusta district following the arrival of the group.