Nicosia:Members of the Western Balkans subgroup of the Eurojust network for combating migrant smuggling conducted a working visit to the 'Pournara' First Reception Center in the Nicosia district on Friday.

According to Cyprus News Agency, the visit was part of the 4th Meeting of the subgroup, which was hosted in Larnaca on October 29 and 30. Eurojust, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, aids in coordinating judicial and prosecutorial authorities in cases of serious and organized crime across borders.

The delegation was received by officials from the Asylum Service and the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection. During the visit, the delegation was shown the upgraded facilities and briefed on the center's daily operations, infrastructure, and the collaborative efforts of the services functioning there.

The discussions emphasized the Republic of Cyprus's implementation of new procedures under the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, highlighting Pournara's significant role. The delegation was informed about the use of enhanced infrastructure for controlling, registering, and identifying new arrivals, as well as coordinating authorities to manage cases more swiftly under new European mandates.

Presentations were delivered by representatives from the Cyprus Police, Frontex, Europol, and the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) regarding their activities at the Center. The Eurojust network on migrant smuggling, which includes specialist prosecutors and judicial officers from member states and third countries, aims to exchange expertise and facilitate cooperation in specific cases.

The visit highlighted Cyprus's experience in managing arrivals and implementing the new European framework, demonstrating the critical importance of cooperation between field services and judicial and prosecutorial authorities to effectively tackle migrant smuggling networks.