Brussels: Migration Deputy Minister Nicholas Ioannides is set to travel to Brussels on Sunday to attend the Justice and Home Affairs Council, where asylum solidarity will be a primary issue on the agenda. During the Council meeting, Ioannides will present the work program for the upcoming Cyprus EU Presidency, which is scheduled to commence on January 1st.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Ministers at the Council will strive to reach an agreement on the annual “solidarity pool,” a new mechanism intended to ensure a fairer distribution of responsibilities in the field of asylum. This solidarity mechanism is set to be implemented on June 12, 2026, as part of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.
The Council aims to secure support from member states on three key EU legislative issues: the Return Regulation, which is expected to streamline return procedures throughout the EU, and the concepts of safe third country and safe country of origin, which will also facilitate faster return processes.
During the Council meeting, Deputy Minister Ioannides will present the work program for the upcoming Cyprus EU Presidency, marking the transition of the Presidency of the Council from his Danish counterpart.
On the sidelines of the Council’s activities, and in anticipation of the Cyprus Presidency, Ioannides is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the Spanish Minister of Integration, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz; the Deputy Minister of the Interior of France, Marie-Pierre Vedrenne; and the Minister of the Interior of Bulgaria, Daniel Mitov.
On Wednesday, the Deputy Minister will represent the Republic of Cyprus at the 2nd High-Level Conference of the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling and will engage in bilateral discussions. Ioannides is expected to return home on Thursday.