For months Cyprus has been sounding the alarm that a possible collapse of Lebanon would lead to massive flows of Syrian migrants to the European Union, Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou said on Tuesday, noting that the outbreak of the war in Gaza “confirmed in the worst way the concerns” of Nicosia.
He referred to “organised crime” that exploits people’s need for a safer life, noting the need for “coordinated and effective action”.
The Republic of Cyprus is focusing on two directions, the reassessment of areas in Syria and the need to strengthen European support to Lebanon, Ioannou said, speaking at a press conference to present the report on the work of his Ministry during the first year of the Christodoulides administration and planning for 2024.
According to data from the Ministry of Interior, in 2022 asylum applications amounted to 21,565 and in 2023 to 11,617, i. e. there was a 50% decrease in new asylum applications in 2023.
In addition, in 2022 the number of asylum seekers from African countri
es amounted to 9,384, while in 2023 it was 2,607, i. e. there was an 85% decrease in new asylum seekers from African countries. Asylum seekers from Syria in 2022 amounted to 4,088, while in 2023 to 6,148, an increase of 50%. As for the other countries, in 2022 asylum seekers were estimated at 8,093, while in 2023 they amounted to 2,862, a decrease of 65%.
Referring to the migration issue, Ioannou said that the government’s goal for 2024 is to complete the processing of asylum applications within 30 days.
He also said that in the first quarter of 2024, Cyprus continues to record a positive sign, with 1,000 more returns compared to the same period in 2023.
He noted that Cyprus has been under suffocating pressure in recent years, with a peak in 2021 and 2022, due to massive migratory flows.
“As a result, it is still today the country with the highest proportion of asylum seekers in relation to its population in the entire European Union, which makes it difficult to effectively manage the migration issue,” Io
annou added.
With regard to migration, the Interior Minister said that with the establishment of the Deputy Ministry, “we are intensifying our efforts as a government to better address the migration crisis.”
Source: Cyprus News Agency