Ioannides warns of crackdown on migrant smuggling networks

Combating illegal migrant smuggling remains a daily operational challenge, deputy migration minister Nicholas Ioannides admitted on Thursday,

Speaking at Europol’s joint parliamentary scrutiny meeting, Ioannides said the government had delivered measurable results, with pending asylum applications also declining after years of sustained pressure on the system.

He said the effort would continue at both a national and European level, in cooperation with the commission as well as Europol.

“In recent years, people seeking international protection have formed a significant share of our population, well above the EU average,” Ioannides said.

“This has placed real pressure on public services and local communities.”

He admitted that the Republic faces a distinct operational reality due to the Green Line.

While not an external border the demarcation creates what he described as a complex environment in which “security must be safeguarded while fully respecting human rights obligations”.

Ioannides commended the creation of the deputy migration ministry as a “turning point” that allows stronger coordination between services and a more coherent policy framework.

“Our approach from the outset was rigorous and practical,” he affirmed.

“We focused on three objectives: reducing irregular flows, cutting the backlog of asylum applications and increasing returns. Smuggling networks flourish when routes are unprotected, procedures are slow and decisions cannot be enforced.”

He said Cyprus had strengthened surveillance at sea and along the Green Line, intensified action against criminal networks, accelerated asylum procedures with full respect for due process and invested in more effective returns.

According to Ioannides, the combined measures had produced tangible outcomes, with irregular arrivals and asylum applications falling sharply compared with previous years.

Turning to the forthcoming EU pact on migration and asylum, Ioannides said “the timely implementation of the pact is essential if migration is to be addressed in a coherent and effective manner,”.

He added that during Cyprus’ EU council presidency, migration would be treated as a shared European responsibility, with priorities including more effective returns and sustained action against smuggling networks.

“We have worked to ensure that the European framework is not only ambitious on paper, but operational in practice,” he said.