Cyprus migration flows down 90 per cent, minister says

Cyprus has reduced migration flows by 90 per cent, Deputy Migration Minister Nicholas Ioannides said on Friday, describing migration management as a continuous balancing act between protecting human rights and safeguarding the interests of the state. Speaking at a discussion at the University of Nicosia, Ioannides also outlined key developments in the law of the sea, a branch of international law governing maritime rights and obligations. He said that although Turkey was not a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, it derived rights from its provisions and was bound by relevant obligations, as was the case with other non-parties, including Israel and Libya. Referring to agreements on the delimitation of maritime zones in the Eastern Mediterranean, Ioannides said Turkey was laying claim to half of the Aegean Sea and the entire Eastern Mediterranean. “Greece or any state does not need to have declared an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to exploit their undersea resources,” he said, emphasising the distinction between the extension of maritime zones and their delimitation. Ioannides also explained that issuing a Navtex maritime notice did not, in itself, diminish another state’s sovereign rights. Turning to migration, he said Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain had faced considerable pressure as countries of first arrival during the 2015-2016 migration crisis, partly because of shortcomings and imbalances in the rules in place at the time. He said these challenges had contributed to the development of the European Union’s Pact on Migration and Asylum, which began applying in June 2026. Cyprus had since implemented several measures aimed at reducing migration flows and improving the management of asylum applications, he added. “We managed to reduce migration flows by 90 per cent, we increased returns, and our goal is to have a sustainable asylum system so that we can provide the support and protection that asylum seekers are entitled to,” he said.