Responsibility for refugees must be shared EU wide
By Αnna Kythreotou The refugee crisis is an ongoing humanitarian crisis, which has an impact on Cyprus as well as the rest of Europe. The...
asylum
Cyprus asks Frontex to stop migrants sailing to north
Cyprus has asked EU borders agency Frontex marine patrols to halt migrants sailing from Turkey`s southern coast to the island`s north Interior Minister Nicos Nouris...
Asylum applications in Cyprus nine times higher than EU average
Cyprus in 2020 had by far the highest number of asylum applicants compared to its population, with 8,448 per one million inhabitants, more than double...
Cyprus will fail to stem migration until EU acts, Nouris says
Cyprus will fail to manage the migration flow to the island unless the EU adopts a “coordinated, fair and balanced” policy which would be tailored...
Over 4,000 asylum applications in Cyprus recorded in 2020
Cyprus saw a total of 4,393 asylum applicants up to August this year, according to data disclosed by the interior ministry’s asylum service. Of the...
First-time asylum applicants in Cyprus almost 10 times higher than EU average in second quarter
Cyprus saw the highest number of first-time asylum applicants relative to the country’s population during the second quarter of this year, according to Eurostat, almost...
Asylum seeker stuck in the buffer zone
A renowned 46-year-old Iranian singer, songwriter and music producer has been stranded in the Ledra Palace buffer zone since Wednesday after the Greek Cypriot authorities...
Crucial asylum reform dismissed as a ‘damp squib’
Moves to speed up deporting failed asylum seekers are fraught with legal hurdles By Elias Hazou On the Friday before last, parliament voted to amend...
114 Georgians, illegally in Cyprus, sent home on chartered flight
A total of 114 Georgians were deported on Friday night on a chartered flight after authorities found them to be illegally residing in Cyprus. The...
Lack of integration programmes leading to ghettoisation
As the government announced tough new measures this week to curb illegal migration, the need for effective, long-term integration programmes for refugees and asylum seekers...
Syrian national loses third asylum appeal due to suspected Isis links
A Syrian national who has been held at the Menoyia detention centre for around a year, this week saw his appeal for release rejected by...
European asylum office resuming its work in Cyprus
The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) said on Wednesday it was “gradually and safely” resuming elements of its operations in Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Malta...
Coronavirus: ‘Refugees and asylum seekers need accurate information’, many in dire straits
Refugees and immigrants must have access to accurate information and it is imperative that their health is protected during the coronavirus outbreak, the UN High...
Suspected people smuggler arrested in the north
Authorities in the north arrested a Turkish Cypriot man who was caught trying to smuggle four third-country nationals into the government-controlled areas, reports said on...
Focus on integration of migrants
The importance of integrating refugees into local communities, in particular in the early stages of their transition to Cyprus was the focus of Wednesday’s conference...
‘Skyscrapers are not mushrooming…Cyprus won’t turn into a Manhattan’, says Petrides
Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides pledged on Thursday that Cyprus would not be turned into Manhattan during House discussions on his ministry’s budget when the topic...
Major boost for asylum service ‘will speed up processing’
Cyprus on Thursday signed a permanent hosting agreement with the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), the first EU country to do so in order to...
Unhcr: Cyprus should not have to deal alone with asylum issues
CYPRUS, currently receiving more asylum seekers per capita among European countries, should not be left alone to deal with this situation, said Unhcr Cyprus Representative...
Experts advise against minors’ facility in Zygi
The European Commission and expert opinion have advised against the creation of a state facility for unaccompanied minors in an empty military camp in the...
Cyprus says EU asylum policies failing frontline countries
Cyprus cannot accept the EU’s Legislative Package on Asylum without provisions for redistribution of migrants across the bloc, Interior Minister Constasntinos Petrides has said. He...