Filenews 4 June 2022 - by Michalis Hadjivasilis
Cyprus has recently been under migratory pressure from everywhere, with the result that applications for political asylum have exceeded 11,000 this year. The migratory flows, apart from the Green Line, have now begun to thicken by sea, where they offer smugglers the opportunity to escape to the occupied territories, while some continue to come by air to the illegal airport of Tymbos and from there to the free areas.
At the same time, the authorities are engaged in an unequal war to identify the traffickers, in order to reduce the flows, since without them, the migrants will not come in so many numbers. Also, according to information from "F", for the first time officials from Cong have arrived to issue travel documents to persons from that country, who are in the Central Prisons, so that they can return to their country.
This year, as of May 31st, 7,844 irregular migrants arrived in Cyprus, compared to 10,172 in the whole of 2021 and 5,340 throughout 2020. The figures this year do not count those who were here and have now applied for political asylum, which, as we have already mentioned, exceed 11 000.
According to data cited to "F" by the assistant commander of the Aliens and Immigration Service, Yiannis Sotiriadis, this year 15 cases of traffickers have been investigated for which 20 arrests were made, compared to 29 cases and 50 smugglers caught throughout last year and 24 cases and 27 traffickers that were investigated in total in 2020. What is happening this year is that the Turkish traffickers have taken their measures and are escaping arrest. As it was found, they "push" the irregular migrants to the coast controlled by the Authorities of the Republic and after boarding them, they flee to the areas controlled by the occupying "authorities" with inflatables without being arrested. It has also been found that, while the coastal radar system detects the position of the boats near the coast of the Cypriot coast, they disembark and disappear.
Also, several irregular migrants in the occupied territories come via the Green Line to the free areas with the help of their compatriots or other traffickers who direct them via mobile phones how to proceed, without being noticed. It is expected that with the recruitment of 300 special police officers and the installation of cameras, the migratory flows will change to escape the authorities.
According to the data of the Aliens and Immigration Service, the struggle for the deportation of those whose applications are rejected is unequal, however, efforts are intensified and bring results. As of May 31 this year, 2,119 people have been deported to their countries, compared to 2,320 in all of 2021, 1,272 in 2020 and 417 in 2019. However, when 100 a day come and 60 are deported, greater efforts are needed to stem the flows on the one hand and deport those who are deemed illegal, on the other.
Moreover, in an attempt to return to their country the Congolese immigrants who are deemed to be irregular, with the help of the Frontex Agency, officials from that African country will arrive in the next few days, in order to examine 15 cases of people convicted of trying to leave Cyprus with false documents and are in prison, without having travel documents. Interviews will determine whether they will be issued with new travel documents to return home.
Also, again with the help of Frontex, a forced flight is being organised on 28 June to Bangladesh to return 20 illegal immigrants from that country to their home.
Penalties - "axe" for traffickers
The day before yesterday, a court in Larnaca imposed a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence on two persons aged 24 and 21, following a trial of a case of aiding the illegal entry, transit and stay in the Republic of third-country nationals. The 24-year-old and the 21-year-old had been arrested by members of the Larnaca Police last November for helping four other persons to enter the Republic illegally. They were located in the afternoon of November 20th in an area in Larnaca, when members of the Police stopped a car for inspection which contained six persons. The driver of the vehicle was the 24-year-old, with the 21-year-old as the co-driver, who, as it was found by the examinations that were carried out, helped the four other persons on board the vehicle, aged 28, 26, 25 and 20, to enter illegally the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.
Fifty cases of illegal employment
The cases of illegal employment of foreigners are also increased, since the Aliens and Immigration Service intensified its efforts, following the presidential meeting on immigration. In the first quarter of this year, 50 cases of illegal employment have been examined in which an equal number of employers and 76 foreigners were arrested.
Throughout 2021, 125 cases were examined that led to the arrest of 126 employers and 215 foreigners. Most were employed without a permit in construction or agricultural work. Some of them were asylum seekers and also received an allowance.
