Press Releases

We are currently in a state of alertness in order to ensure safety within the Republic of Cyprus and cope with the migrant flows, in compliance with the European treaty”, the Minister of Interior, Mr Nicos Nouris, has said.

Following a meeting at the Presidential Palace on the migration problem, presided by the President of the Republic, Mr Nouris noted that that particular measures are planned with regard to the handling of the migrant flows towards Cyprus. ‘’The aim is to speed up the examination of asylum applications and to speed up and expedite the return procedures, so that our country may reduce the number of economic migrants and to offer what we can to those who really need it. Today the numbers are prohibitive for us to implement a proper policy and that is why a very specific strategy proposal is being prepared, which will be put before the President of the Republic in additional detail and announced very soon” he added.

Asked what this strategy includes, he stated that “a particular procedure is currently in progress aiming at strengthening the infrastructure the Republic possesses in Pournara and Kofinou. I have already given the relevant guidelines and those premises have been reinforced to accommodate a larger number of people. We are also currently examining the increased flows, especially recently, that require alertness and we are alert in that we want to ensure safety within the Republic of Cyprus and we are going to handle all those asylum seekers as defined by the European Treaty”.

He also said that “the President of the Republic had a phone conversation with the Prime Minister of Greece, during which they discussed the actions the two governments are going to take and the positions that are going to be submitted to the Councils of Ministers of the EU”.

Asked whether the measures announced by the former Minister of Interior have not been satisfactory, the Minister said that “the situation of the migration problem is a constantly changing situation and this means that the Republic should be alert with regard to how to cope with it. Every day, according to the problem and the way the handling of the migration problem evolves, the Republic has to respond accordingly. I’d like to assure you that this is are the policies we follow and we use all the procedures needed in order to cope with any problem based on our capabilities.

The EU itself, Mr Nouris added, has to implement a pan-European asylum policy under which it will play a role in negotiations with secure third countries to which immigrants must return as this task is extremely difficult for countries like Cyprus.

“I have invited to Cyprus the competent EU Commissioner, Ms Johanson, and the Vice-President of the Commission, Mr Schinas, so that they may see for themselves the problem and how it is developed in Cyprus. However, everybody has to understand that the time is passing to our detriment and we should take action as early as possible and I’d like to inform you that this is the direction we are currently moving towards”, Mr Nouris stated.

Asked whether Cyprus has the right to stop immigrants from entering through the north if they present themselves after crossing the buffer zone, Mr Nouris said that “Cyprus certainly has the right to prevent access. We are aware though, of the fact that there are international bodies and legislation, which also give immigrants specific rights. We have no intention of doing anything illegal. There is only one thing that we want everybody to understand: Cyprus, with a population of only 850 000 has very particular capabilities and can withstand only a certain number of immigrants. Today we have unprotected children and refugees within the Republic. We want and we have the capability to receive them and help them. EU (and the international community in general) should understand in the first place that Cyprus can no longer cope because it does not have the infrastructure to accommodate so many people and there are the people we want to return’’

I would like to make clear, Mr Nouris said, that we are not going to return anybody who will be sent to a country where his/her life is in danger.

‘’The aim is to return economic migrants only, to their countries of origin or the “safe-countries” from which they arrived in order to find a better future. They would have been more than welcome if the Republic did have that possibility. We have already exceeded the limit. The other frontline countries in terms of reception of immigrants, including Greece, had seen their migratory flow increase but was still below 1% of the total population. In Cyprus this percentage has now reached 3,8%. The picture we have in front of us today indicates that there are 12.000 people who have already been offered international protection in Cyprus, 17.000 pending asylum applications and 4.000 pending appeals. All together the number is approaching 32.000, which is 3,8% of the total population of the Republic”