Nicosia: The Government has taken significant measures to manage migration, making Cyprus a model in this area, said on Tuesday the Deputy Minister for European Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Marilena Raouna, in a speech during a visit to the M. Koutsofta and A. Panagides Regional High School in Paliometocho, where she participated in the school’s event on “Migration in Europe and Cyprus, challenges and perspectives.”
According to Cyprus News Agency, during the event Raouna gave a speech and participated in a discussion with the students who presented the results of a survey they conducted on the perceptions of young people in their school on the migration issue, as part of their participation in the European Parliament Ambassador School project.
The Deputy Minister referred to the forthcoming Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) in less than ten months, underlining that it is a huge challenge but also an excellent opportunity.
Referring to the survey carried out by the students, Raouna underlined that it is an excellent example of how young people can be actively involved in issues that concern and worry them.
She underlined that migration is one of the biggest challenges affecting the whole of Europe, and particularly Cyprus, which is under increased pressure due to its position as an island state at the south-easternmost edge of the EU, its proximity to the often turbulent Middle East region and the fact that the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise effective control over the Turkish-occupied areas, further complicating the management of the migration issue.
She pointed out that the Government, from the very first moment, has taken a number of important political decisions and measures that have already produced and continue to yield tangible results, making Cyprus a model in the management of the migration issue, including the establishment of the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection in 2024.
A discussion followed with the students on the role of the EU in the management of the migration issue, during which Raouna underlined the substantial and multi-level support that the EU provides to Cyprus.
On May 1, 2004, Cyprus became a full EU Member State, along with the other nine acceding countries – The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. On January 1, 2008, Cyprus joined the eurozone. Cyprus assumed the six-month Presidency of the Council of the EU on July 1, 2012 and the next Cypriot Presidency is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2026.