Illegal arrivals to Cyprus down 92% compared with 2022

The number of illegal arrivals to Cyprus has fallen by 92% compared with 2022, said Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection Nikolas Ioannidis. According to him, the result was achieved through a combination of measures rather than a single decision.

The decline was driven by several steps taken at once: increased surveillance along the buffer zone, the installation of cameras, maritime patrols, the accelerated processing of asylum applications and the return of people to their home countries. Previously, applicants waited years for a decision; now their cases are processed within weeks or months.

Since the beginning of 2026, Cyprus has returned or deported more than 4,000 people. Occupancy at the Pournara reception centre near Nicosia has fallen from more than 3,000 people to 142.

Around 5,500 Syrians have returned home voluntarily. Some withdrew their applications or renounced their protection status, while others were denied protection or had it revoked. Ioannidis stressed that difficult living conditions alone do not constitute grounds for asylum.

The deputy minister also spoke about carriers. “We have videos showing movements in the north of Cyprus, where people appear to be accompanying migrants,” he said. Cyprus has no direct contacts with Turkey on this issue; the European Commission has taken steps in this direction.

With unemployment at around 4%, foreign workers are, according to Ioannidis, “absolutely essential” to sectors facing staff shortages. By the end of 2027, the authorities expect to move legal migration fully into a digital format and significantly reduce bureaucracy.