Government seeks faster deportations of irregular migrants

The justice ministry and the deputy ministry of migration on Thursday pledged to improve the efficiency of deportations of migrants residing illegally in Cyprus.

In separate statements, the two ministries announced the creation of a working group to examine cases of irregular migrants who refuse to leave the country voluntarily.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to maintaining the decline in arrivals and the rise in deportations of undocumented migrants, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said close coordination between authorities was essential to sustaining this trend.

The justice ministry said a meeting had already been held at its premises to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation among the authorities involved in return procedures, including the two ministries, the Cyprus police and other relevant services.

The deputy migration ministry said multiple authorities are involved at different stages of the deportation process, which can sometimes lead to gaps in information.

“The new working group was established to improve communication and coordination,” the deputy ministry said.

It will examine individual cases and promote procedures to expedite the return of third-country nationals who are not legally permitted to remain in the Republic.

According to the justice ministry, the group’s main objective is to ensure the effective execution of return procedures in compliance with national legislation and the international obligations of the Republic.

“Strengthening cooperation among the competent authorities constitutes a key element for the effective management of migration-related issues and the proper functioning of the migration and asylum system,” it concluded.

Local media outlet Philenews reported earlier on Thursday that the group would focus on cases where migrants have challenged detention or deportation orders in court but remain in the country after their appeals have been rejected.

In several such cases, migrants request the annulment of detention or deportation orders or seek residence permits through the courts.

However, some refuse to leave Cyprus even after their appeals are rejected.

These cases involve individuals who are either residing illegally in the Republic or have been convicted of offences and do not consent to returning to their country of origin.

Under current procedures, migrants who voluntarily agree to return and whose repatriation is accepted by their country of origin may receive financial support from the European Union. Mandatory repatriation can also be carried out if the receiving country approves the return.

The working group, according to Philenews, will conduct case-by-case examinations while ensuring that both domestic and EU legislation are followed.

According to police figures, the number of migrants returned to their countries of origin after residing illegally in Cyprus has increased by 53 per cent over the past three years.

A total of 11,500 people left Cyprus in 2025 following operations by the aliens and immigration service, compared with 10,092 returns in 2024 and 9,699 in 2023.

In 2022, 7,506 people departed the island through voluntary or forced return procedures.

Over the same period, arrivals fell sharply, dropping by 86 per cent. Around 2,400 people arrived in Cyprus in 2025, with a further 150 foreign nationals repatriated through 19 operations coordinated by Frontex.

This marks a steep decline from the peak of 17,434 arrivals recorded in 2022. Arrivals fell to 10,994 in 2023 and further to 6,109 in 2024.

According to the first annual report on asylum and migration by the European Commission, published in November 2025, the drop in irregular border crossings is largely attributed to fewer arrivals from Syria and Lebanon following the fall of the Bashar al‑Assad regime in December 2024.

Despite the decline, Cyprus ranked third in the EU for irregular arrivals during the 2023–2024 period, with about 3,000 cases recorded.

At the same time, Cyprus remains among the EU member states granting the highest numbers of international protection statuses, alongside Austria and Greece.