Cyprus Mail 6 September 2019 -article by Jonathan Shkurko
The EU commissioner for migration has expressed his support to Cyprus after the island received 6,759 applications for asylum in the first six months of this year, a 130 per cent increase on the same period of 2018.
In a letter to Interior Minister Constantinos Petridis, EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos emphasised that “we will continue to support Cyprus politically, operationally and financially. Cyprus will not be left alone to face these challenges.
“We have already taken significant steps to improve financial assistance and operational support on the ground in order to help Cyprus cope with the migration flow.”
Cyprus is among the EU member states that receives most migrants, especially from Turkey and northern Cyprus.
“It is for this reason that, in our discussions with the Turkish authorities and during our last visit to Ankara, we have reminded them about the agreement which stipulates that Turkey must prevent the creation of new maritime or inland routes for irregular migration from Turkey to the EU including Cyprus,” Avramopoulos said.
The European Commissioner stressed the EU is “ready to increase operational and financial assistance in the implementation of potential voluntary relocation of asylum seekers.
“These are vulnerable people,” he said “and are in need of international protection based on bilateral agreements with other Member States and in accordance with EU law.”
Avramopoulos admitted there is a need for better structures for migrants and refugees to better cope with current and future challenges.
He also noted that the majority of asylum seekers arriving in Cyprus are from countries that might not need immediate assistance. Therefore, they might not be eligible for international protection and might not have the right to remain in European territory.
“This is why we need to implement more efficient and adequate procedures for asylum seekers and, at the same time, we will be sending a strong message to traffickers,” he said.
In August Petridis sent a letter to Commissioner Avramopoulos urging all EU member states to commit to relocating 5,000 people from Cyprus on the basis of bilateral agreements, giving priority to the most vulnerable.
Cyprus currently hosts around 9,000 migrants, with Syrian nationals constituting 26 per cent of the total number who have arrived in Cyprus since 2016.
As of now, there are still 12,000 pending asylum-seeking applications in Cyprus.
