Filenews 2 October 2021 - by Eleftheria Paizanos
From €500 to €1500 per person is the financial incentive provided by the state to third-country nationals located in Cyprus to return to their countries. The granting of financial incentives is part of the implementation of the voluntary returns programme.
The state also fully covers the cost of the air ticket for all returnees. In fact, in some cases, especially where the standard of living is very low, third-country nationals, apart from the fact that they can, if they wish, return free of charge to their country of origin (from where they left, some under very adverse conditions...), they also have some cash to cover their first needs.
The voluntary returns programme aims to reduce irregular migrants in Cyprus. The Asylum Service proceeded to the categorization of the countries and determined the financial incentives, which are classified according to the country of origin of the foreigners.
According to the categorisation made, Georgian nationals are provided with a monetary incentive of €500, nationals from Egypt, Morocco, Pakistan, Algeria, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Tunisia, India, Nepal and the Philippines €1,000. A financial incentive of €1,500 is granted to nationals from the Gambia, Nigeria, Somalia, Ghana, Senegal, Congo, Kenya, Togo, Sierra Leone, Benin, Cameroon and Syria.
It is worth noting that the financial incentives of €500 to €1500 concern single people. In the case of family members of foreigners who want to return to their countries (spouse and children), an additional amount of 50% is granted for each member of the family, regardless of age. For example, a family of four from Georgia, when they return to their country, will get a financial incentive of €1,250, i.e. €500 for one parent and €750 for the second parent and both children.
Also, a family of four from a country in the second category will receive a cash incentive of €2,500. That is, €,1000 for one parent and €500 for the second parent and the children. When a family of four is repatriated to a country belonging to the third category, they will receive a total financial assistance of €3,750. That is, €1,500 for one parent and €750 for the second parent and each child.
To these amounts are added the air tickets. Although this plan has been in place for more than a year, the response has been small. It is estimated that around 30 to 50 migrants have voluntarily returned to their country.
