The number of migrants arriving in Cyprus by unconventional means has fallen dramatically by more than half, it was reported on Monday.
The number of migrants arriving in Cyprus through irregular means has dropped sharply, with just over 5,000 arrivals recorded so far in 2024, compared to nearly 11,000 last year.
Most of these migrants are from Syria and authorities report a significant decrease in boat arrivals from Lebanon, which had been a major concern earlier in the year.
Ongoing volatility in Lebanon could lead to different variables at any moment should Israel intensify its moves against Hezbollah, authorities have cautioned.
In detail, the number which had been rapidly escalating with daily announcements of boat arrivals, starting with 778 arrivals in January, 1,026 in February 1,177 in March, and 1,123 in April, dropped drastically, with a mere 219 arriving in May, 155 in June, 174 in July, 216 in August, and 184 in September.
For comparison, during the same period in 2023, arrivals in January were 614, in February 1,026, in March 1,094, in April 788, in May 845, in June 736, in July 898, in August 651 and in September 870, giving a total of 8,222.
The steep reduction in arrivals, coupled with a rising number of deportations and voluntary returns, has made the situation on the island more manageable as regards those who remain to be aided by the Republic.
During April and early May, daily boat arrivals had caused reception centres to be crammed to bursting, severely compromising their ability to offer services.
In response to an alarming 30 per cent jump in arrivals, President Nikos Christodoulides had embarked on a policy to gain Lebanon’s cooperation in securing the sea corridor between the two states.
In April he had accompanied EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Beirut, where the move was enacted to direct EU financial aid to Lebanon as an incentive for the latter’s assistance in intercepting boats departing from its shores.
The decision to suspend the examination of Syrian asylum applications for six months also contributed to gaining control of the situation.
Coordination among services and comprehensive measures were the key to the success in improving the management of migration, immigration police spokesman Petros Zeniou told Philenews.
“Where we used to have 120-140 arrivals per day, we now have 60 per week,” he said.
Continued surveillance of the sea borders and discouragement of crossings through the green line are ongoing, he said.
Checks on illegal employment have increased through directives from the labour ministry in consultation with the ministries of justice and the interior. Businesses are inspected daily, and employers found to be breaking the law are brought to justice, while persons working under an illegal status are deported, Zenios added.
As for migrant returns, Cyprus currently ranks first in the EU in terms of numbers of returns in relation to the proportion of its population.
According to immigration service data, 7,456 people have been deported or voluntarily returned to their countries to date in 2024, compared with 6,900 in the corresponding period last year. In total, in 2023, 9,711 people returned to their countries.
This year so far, most (around 5,650) migrants left voluntarily, making use of the monetary incentive scheme, while around 1,800 people were deported. The returns are done in cooperation with Frontex and other countries with joint flights, which aids in their success.
Following the freeze on asylum applications, Syrian arrivals dropped sharply and arrivals this year are of various ethnicities.
As for the migrants living in tents in the Nicosia buffer zone, which has raised eyebrows among human rights’ watchdogs and in the international press, the state’s position is set to remain unchanged.
Despite the United Nations push for authorities of the Republic to grant entry for these arrivals, the government has held fast to the position that it cannot accept applications from persons who are known to have crossed through the green line.
Construction is underway for a new housing facility in Limnes in the Menoyia area, to also include a pre-departure centre, while the older facility will be repurposed to house young offenders, Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis had said.
The new centre will house those migrants who have exhausted their legal options and are awaiting deportation and is to have a have a capacity to host up to 1,000 people.
