Asylum seeker arrivals in Cyprus fell by 92% in the first half of 2026 compared with 2022, Deputy Minister of Migration and Asylum Dr. Nicholas A. Ioannides told the House Interior Committee today. He said around 35,000 third-country nationals have departed since the start of the current government, while 5,200 nationals have left voluntarily since the change of regime in Syria.
Ioannides said pending asylum applications have also fallen sharply, from 35,000 three years ago to 13,500 now, a drop of 86%.
Syrian nationals
“We are placing particular emphasis on Syrians, whether they hold asylum or international protection status,” Ioannides said. Beyond the 5,200 who voluntarily repatriated, he said there have been 2,000 application withdrawals, and a family repatriation scheme is now in place offering an incentive funded by the EU.
Border monitoring
Responding to MPs’ questions, Ioannides said there is cooperation with police and the National Guard to monitor the Green Line, using cameras, patrols and drones, mainly to counter traffickers. He said thousands of people have been rescued at sea.
Benefit recipients now stand at 2,000, of whom 400 are Syrian nationals, and efforts are being made to direct them into employment, Ioannides said. He said recipient numbers have fallen by 50%, and that status is continually withdrawn from people who breach public order and security rules.
Ioannides said 200,000 foreign nationals are currently legally resident in Cyprus, and noted that 70% of migration-related expenses are covered by the EU. He added that a 90% drop in migrants from sub-Saharan Africa was observed, which he attributed to those migrants having believed they were heading to central Europe.
On integration, he briefed the committee on the National Integration Strategy for legally resident migrants, with emphasis on learning Greek, skills development, access to the legal labour market and familiarisation with Cypriot society, institutions, way of life and culture.
Integration and digital services
Ioannides also referred to the developmental character of migration. “Our aim is to streamline legal migration procedures to help strengthen the economy and address social issues,” he said. He said this includes a new digital service for electronic submission of renewal applications for certain categories of residence permits, which he described as an innovation that reduces bureaucracy, limits the need for physical presence, and strengthens transparency and administrative capacity.
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