Cyprus begins deporting Syrians after final asylum rejections

The Cypriot news website Philenews reported that the Ministry of Migration and International Protection carried out the first deportation operations in recent days, in cooperation with the police and other government agencies.

According to the report, the operations involved individuals whose asylum applications had also been rejected by the Administrative Court of International Protection after they had exhausted all legal avenues of appeal before the competent courts, rendering their stay in the country illegal under Cypriot law.

At the same time, the Asylum Service, acting on instructions from Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection Nikolas Ioannides, is working to accelerate the rejection of asylum applications that authorities describe as "without valid grounds." It is also reviewing the cases of people granted subsidiary protection, with a view to withdrawing their status from those authorities consider no longer eligible.

On October 27, Ioannides said in an interview with Sigma TV that more than 5,000 asylum applications submitted by Syrians had been rejected since December 2024. He added that around 6,000 Syrians had voluntarily left Cyprus, while more than 6,000 others had expressed their desire to return to Syria.

The website noted that the forced return operations followed a voluntary return assistance program for Syrians and their families, known as "SFAS-B," which began in June and ended in late October, offering financial incentives to families willing to return.

Cypriot authorities are expected to step up inspections in the coming period to identify foreigners residing in the country illegally and crack down on unauthorized employment, with an anticipated increase in returns and deportations, according to the same source.

The deputy minister called on employers and property owners to cooperate with the authorities in enforcing laws governing the residence and employment of foreign nationals.

A-H 

ANHA