A group called ‘Syrians in Cyprus’ has called for the partial lifting of a freeze on asylum applications from Syria, saying in letters to the interior minister and deputy migration minister that this halt in examining applications was unjustified.

In its letters, the group says that Syrians who applied for asylum in 2019 are still on standby, while new applications from other countries are being examined in three months.

The group says this is a “glaring discrimination” against Syrians living and working in Cyprus for years now, contributing to the social insurance fund and Gesy.

Not examining applications is an unjustified obstacle, the group says and urges the government to look into the possibility of Syrians who haven’t opted to voluntarily return home since the fall of Bashal al-Ashad to be given third country worker status, without having to leave Cyprus.

In April last year, Cyprus had suspended its processing of asylum claims for applicants of Syrian origin in light of the “recent mass arrival of Syrian political asylum seekers by sea” to the island. There had also been several deaths as the journeys to Cyprus were undertaken in unsafe boats.

At the time of the announcement, it was estimated that as much as five per cent of Cyprus’ population were asylum seekers.

The attempted arrivals dropped significantly after the fall of the Assad government in Syria in early December.

Last month it was announced that more than 900 Syrians had withdrawn their asylum applications within a few days.

In a post on X on January 13, Deputy Minister of Migration Nicholas Ioannides said that this number included Syrian nationals who had renounced their international protection status with the intention of returning to their home country and that about 300 Syrians had already departed Cyprus.

In Cyprus there are approximately 14,000 Syrian refugees or with legal subsidiary protection status, and there are still many who do not want to leave Cyprus.

Once an asylum application is withdrawn by the applicant for those that do, on the same day documents are sent on to the Civil Registry and Migration Department and these cases are enrolled in the voluntary returns programme.

Authorities will issue travel documents for those holding none. Next the process begins – making arrangements for these people to return to Syria.

Those requesting to return voluntarily get a €1,500 allowance as assistance. The government is later reimbursed by the European Union.