Migration ministry launches mandatory repatriations to Syria

Deputy Minister of Migration Nicholas Ioannides on Tuesday announced that mandatory repatriations of Syrian nationals whose asylum applications have been rejected is now underway. The operation is carried out jointly by the deputy ministry, the police and other state services. Those returned had exhausted their legal avenues after their applications were rejected by the administrative court, leaving them without lawful residence in the Republic. In a post on X, Ioannides said that Cyprus was among the few European Union member states that compulsorily repatriate Syrians. He added that the authorities will continue to reject unfounded asylum claims and said that increased inspections targeting irregular migration and undeclared employment were planned for the coming months. “At the same time, we continue at a rapid pace to reject unfounded asylum applications and remove subsidiary protection status from those who are not entitled to it,” he said. Ioannides also appealed to employers and landlords to work with the authorities, stressing that their cooperation is essential to ensuring that the relevant legislation is upheld.