Filenews 26 January 2023
A joint forced-return flight of third-country nationals staying illegally in the Republic of Cyprus was organised by the Cyprus Police in cooperation with the Hellenic Police and under the coordination of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex).
According to the Police, on the evening of January 24, 2023, an aircraft, chartered by Frontex coming from Athens, made a stopover in Larnaca, where 38 illegally staying migrants boarded it.
The operation was coordinated by the Aliens and Immigration Service, members of which, with the assistance of other police departments, as well as members of the Frontex Standing Corps, accompanied the migrants to their countries of origin.
On the instructions of the Chief of Police, the Aliens and Immigration Service continues to focus its efforts on maximizing the number of returns and since the beginning of the year 107 people have already been deported, while another 360 people who were staying illegally in the Republic have been returned voluntarily.
It is noted that, in 2022, 7,500 illegally staying Third Country Nationals were returned to their countries of origin.
