Filenews 10 September 2021 - by Vassos Vassiliou
The war of arresting migrants seems to have been lost, for the time being, bearing in mind that according to data submitted yesterday by the Minister of Interior before the Parliamentary Committee on the Interior, by 30 June this year 6,800 applications of asylum seekers were rejected, while another 5,500 arrived.
Of all, very few seem to have returned to their countries of origin, and this is mainly due to the fact that most of them come from Turkey, which does not accept them back because it does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus. Another reason, which according to the minister contributes to the stay of these foreigners in Cyprus, is the fact that they submit asylum applications, which does not allow their return. Moreover, difficulties in the expulsion of foreigners also arise from the fact that some countries from which foreigners depart are not accepted or persuaded to sign a refoulement agreement with Cyprus.
Especially with regard to the green line, it seems that when measures are taken in an area from which the entry of foreigners is prevented, new entry holes are found, and this has no end.
Recording the other factors that contribute to the entry of foreigners, Mr. Nouris made special reference to virtual college students. He said that in 2018 and 2019 their number ranged between 2,000-2,500.
The second factor was, he said, marriages of convenience, whose number also ranged between 2,000-2,500 in the same period. On marriages of convenience, the Interior Minister clarified that after the Parliament passed the relevant bills submitted to Parliament by the Interior Ministry last September, the number of them was reduced to zero.
What is pleasing for the Government is the restriction of the flow of foreigners by sea from Lebanon, something that was achieved after a relevant agreement signed with this country for the return of foreigners departing from it.
In response to a question by EDEK MP Kostis Efstathiou, he said that the percentage of foreigners living in Cyprus increased to 4% of the population, compared to 3.8% previously.
As he mentioned, in the other frontline countries (Greece, Italy, Spain and Malta) the percentage is below 1%.
Mr. Nouris also mentioned that there is a problem with countries that do not accept to repatriate their own nationals.
He also announced that the EU has urged Cyprus to cooperate with another European country (which has a refoulement agreement with two countries) by launching joint return flights of foreigners to their countries, provided that this is done voluntarily and safely.
