Collapse in Lebanon ‘would exacerbate Cyprus problems’
Whereas the government is doing all it can to contain and manage the influx of migrants, the situation could still spiral out of control especially if neighbouring Lebanon collapses as ...
Local govt reform ‘on the right track’
Local government reform is “on the right track”, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Wednesday.
Most of the teething problems faced during the transition to Cyprus’ new system of local ...
Greece joins Cyprus’ EU ‘Syria group’
Greece is to join Cyprus’ group of European Union member states which will focus on the matter of declaring parts of Syria safe, Cypriot Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on ...
Local government reform ‘in final stretch’
Local government reform is now “in the final stretch”, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Saturday.
Speaking to mukhtars, he said he described the reforms as “long-awaited, radical, and ambitious”, ...
Smugglers ‘advertising Cyprus on social media’
People smugglers “are advertising voyages to Cyprus on social media”, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Saturday.
Speaking to mukhtars, he said the phenomenon of smugglers setting sail from Lebanon ...
Interior Minister sees signs of solution to Cyprus problem
Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou on Sunday said that the government “can see signs of a potential solution to the Cyprus problem in the near future.”
He was speaking at the ...
Action plan to help integrate migrants (Updated)
An action plan with dozens of measures to help third-country nationals legally residing in Cyprus integrate into the labour market and economy has been prepared, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou.
Ioannou ...
Swedes deny support for Cyprus’ safe Syria plan
The Swedish government on Tuesday refuted the Cypriot interior ministry’s claim it had offered “significant support” for the plan to declare parts of Syria safe.
The interior ministry had ...
Ioannou implores EU to consider parts of Syria safe
Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou on Monday implored his European Union counterparts to re-evaluate the status of parts of Syria and consider parts of the war-torn country as “safe”.
Speaking at ...
Ministers travel to Brussels
Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou and Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis travelled to Brussels ahead of European Union summits which are set to take place this week.
Ioannou will attend the EU’...
Inaction over migration ‘a crime against our people’
Previous governments’ inaction over the issue of migration constitutes “a crime against the country and against our people,” Diko leader Nikolas Papadopoulos said on Friday night.
Speaking to party members ...
Our View: Was the creation of the new deputy ministry needed?
The parties unanimously approved the bill for the establishment of a deputy ministry for migration on Thursday. This will be the seventh deputy ministry set up in the last few ...
‘No respect’: MPs irked with local gov reform bills
MPs slammed on Thursday the last-minute decision by the interior ministry to submit bills on local government reform.
Chairman of the House interior committee, Akel MP Aristos Damianou, said it ...
President’s criticisms on local government reform ‘unnecessary’
By Nikolaos Prakas and Andria Kades
Opposition Akel shot down the government’s comments on local government reform, saying on Monday they were mistimed, unnecessary and damaging to the initiative.
...
Ministers lambast ‘costly, unviable’ local government reform
As a war of words continued to rage over upcoming local government reform with ministers past and present charging political parties of distorting the law so much that the upcoming ...
Frontex praises Cyprus for successful immigration strategy
A Frontex official praised Cyprus for its “successful strategy” on Thursday for how it manages immigration, during a meeting with Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou.
During a visit to the island, ...
Nicosia presses EU on viewing Syria as safe zone
Nicosia on Tuesday again pressed Brussels to review the status of Syria to designate the country or parts of it as a safe zone, allowing for the repatriation there of ...
Demolition of unsafe refugee housing begins (video)
Bulldozers began knocking down the first of refugee buildings deemed inadequate on Friday, at the Apostolos Andreas estate in Latsia, Nicosia.
The first demolitions were attended by Interior Minister Constantinos ...
Migrant arrivals from Syria double
Migrant arrivals from Syria have doubled in the last couple of months following the outbreak of war in Gaza, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Monday.
This has meant that ...
Ioannou pushes for deputy ministry of migration (Updated)
Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou informed the House interior committee of his plans to create a Deputy Ministry of Migration and Asylum on Thursday.
He said the creation of such a ...
New hires will see speedier examination of asylum applications
Faster processing times of asylum applications have received a boost with the recruitment of 25 additional examiners, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Monday.
“The recruitment of new staff is a ...
Interior ministry to boost old Nicosia’s modern European identity
The interior ministry on Wednesday presented plans to revitalise old Nicosia, including grants to boost business activity, student accommodation grants, town planning incentives and housing arrangements, and home ownership grants.
...
Mackenzie plan ‘not quite legal’ but it’s the best we’ve got, interior minister says
An interior ministry proposal to tackle land and businesses in Larnaca’s Mackenzie area raised eyebrows during Tuesday’s House refugee committee, after the auditor general said the government cannot ...
Government promoting Cyprus as ‘unattractive’ for migrants
The government is working to highlight Cyprus as an unattractive destination for migration, ministers told the ad hoc House committee on demographics on Tuesday.
Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said within ...