The government aspires to turn migration into what it said would be a “solution” in a way that would contribute to the growth of the economy and promote social cohesion, safety and public order, Deputy Migration Minister Nicholas Ioannides said on Monday.

“As long as they embrace the Greek language, the culture, the way of life and respect the country hosting them, they are welcome and we have many such examples. Those who cannot comply with the legislation, with the way of life, then there is the way of repatriation,” Ioannides said.

He also said the number of asylum seekers had significantly dropped but Roma numbers were rising.

Presenting the work done in 2025, Ioannides said irregular arrivals dropped by 86 per cent and asylum applications by 87 per cent since 2022, while pending applications were reduced by 34 per cent compared with 2024.

Ioannides pointed out that Cyprus was among the top EU countries regarding repatriations, with a record number of 12,029 departures in 2025.

He added that since Nikos Christodoulides was elected president until February 28 this year, 31,312 third country nationals had left the country. In the first two months of 2026 alone, there had been 1,341 departures.

In 2025, 70 per cent of repatriations were voluntary, Ioannides stressed.

Ioannides said migrants departing were five times more than those arriving.

Cyprus, he said, was implementing the EU agreement on migration and asylum, while various amendments to national legislation are being promoted, including to allow for the protection status of an individual to be lifted if the person in question was a threat to security.

A national strategy on migration and asylum has also been drafted, along with a national emergency plan and the digitalisation of asylum service files.

Ioannides said that last year emphasis was placed on upgrading infrastructure for migrants, such as Pournara reception centre, while another centre as being built in Limnes with a capacity of up to 1,000 people, which along with the centre for migrants awaiting to depart from the island, with a capacity of 800 people, would greatly decongest urban areas.

The deputy minister said Syrians were the largest group applying for international protection, many of whom withdrew their applications in 2025 while 4,081 returned home before the end of the year.

In the summer of 2025, the deputy ministry launched a programme for the voluntary repatriation of Syrian families, while Ioannides said a new programme would be announced soon for Syrians wishing to repatriate.

Referring to legal migration, Ioannides said that at the end of 2025 there were 184,745 permits in force, with most being for domestic workers.

Ioannides also referred to programmes in place that allowed foreigners to reside in Cyprus to follow nautical and aviation training programmes.

For the legal migrants, the government had drafted a national strategy for their social integration, with funding from Switzerland, while further funding was expected from the EU.

Ioannides said the cost of asylum applicants was continuously dropping, not only due to their lower number but because the state was handing out less money, by cutting applicant’s allowances and permitting them to work after six months of applying instead of nine.

Beyond that, over 60 per cent of the cost was covered by the EU, he added.

In the meantime, many have ben rejected, as over 80 per cent were found to be submitted in an effort to exploit the system.

The protection status was also being withdrawn for individuals who were not entitled to it, as conditions in their countries had changed. This was not only true for Syrians, but other nationalities as well, the deputy minister said.

Ioannides furthermore said that there had been no influx of migrants from the Middle East amid ongoing hostilities in the region.

“Of course, we remain on alert,” he added.

Regarding the unaccompanied minors in Cyprus, Ioannides said they were a small number, mainly due to the general reduction of arrivals.

“There are not more than 150 at our centres,” he said.

He also said there had been an increase in Roma and that the deputy ministry was monitoring the situation.

“But here we must take into consideration a very important factor, that these people are European citizens. We have citizens of the Hellenic Republic and other Balkan states, so the European citizens have a different treatment that those from third countries,” he explained.

Regarding complaints by the public regarding the Roma, Ioannides said “we are working with the police to combat delinquency.”