A number of Syrians living in Cyprus have already withdrawn their asylum applications and have renounced their subsidiary protection status, Deputy Migration Minister Nicholas Ioannides said on Thursday.

Speaking on arrival at the EU internal affairs council in Brussels, which will discuss the fall of the Assad regime and its consequences on handling migration, Ioannides said it was necessary to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.

“We are closely following developments in Syria and today we will have the opportunity to exchange views on the issue with other member states and the Commission,” he added.

Ioannides said it was also important to achieve security and stability in Syria to the benefit of the people and the broader region.

During the council, the Commission will brief the 27 ministers on the course of implementation of the new legislative framework for migration and defence, in view of its implementation in June 2026.

The ministers will also discuss the external dimension of migration during a working lunch.

“Over the past few days, several countries suspended the examination of asylum applications by Syrians – Cyprus had done this in April 2024,” Ioannides said.

He added that Cyprus had taken measures to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of Syrians and would continue to discuss the matter with its EU counterparts and the Commission “to find new solutions to address migration”.

“We are ready to discuss new solutions that will facilitate the creation of a more effective and humane system to manage migration, in line with international and European law and of course taking into account the current capabilities of each member state, especially the ones on the front line, such as Cyprus,” he said.

Philenews said that since Monday 110 people had withdrawn their asylum applications and renounced their subsidiary protection status. On Thursday alone, 20 withdrew their asylum applications and four renounced their subsidiary protection status.