The number of unaccompanied migrant minors in Cyprus has fallen from 1,100 to fewer than 350

The number of unaccompanied migrant minors in Cyprus has fallen from approximately 1,100 to fewer than 350. The figures were provided by the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection — the authority responsible for the country’s migration policy — in response to a parliamentary question from MP Sotiris Ioannou.

Since 1 January 2026, this authority has been responsible for managing shelters and centres for unaccompanied minors: the powers were transferred to it from the Social Welfare Services.

Over the same period, the capacity of accommodation facilities fell from 396 places in 2025 to 254 by the beginning of February 2026. In August, 132 teenagers were staying in state-run facilities.

Children are now accommodated in small shelters with capacity for 5–15 people. Two organisations — Hope for Children and MetAction — received one-year state subsidies, with the decision approved in February 2026. The shelters are located close to urban centres so that teenagers have access to hospitals, schools and employment.

The authority added that it had stepped up inspections of shelters, while police had been granted access inside them to respond to behavioural violations. Unaccompanied minors seeking asylum who are found to have committed such violations are subject to accelerated return procedures, while the applications of those who entered the island as children and have since reached adulthood are processed as a priority.

The Deputy Ministry attributes the reduced pressure to a decline in irregular migration flows.