Filenews 7 March 2023
The new Minister of Interior, Konstantinos Ioannou, found a dowry of 21,565 applications for political asylum, which were submitted in 2022, while it seems that the first signs for 2023 are positive as a decrease in applications is recorded.
Specifically, while in January 2022, 1,386 applications for political asylum had been submitted, one year later and specifically in January 2023, 702 applications were submitted. The main countries of origin of irregular migrants are Syria, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Congo. The new Interior Minister got a first taste of the migration issue, after visiting the Pournara First Reception Centre, the Kofinou Accommodation Centre and the Detention Centre in the Limnes area in Mennogeia, where irregular migrants are detained for departure from Cyprus.
According to information from "F", Mr. Ioannou asked the managers of the Centres for information about their situation and suggestions for improving both living conditions and procedures. As mentioned to us, various projects and actions have been launched, with the situation being constantly evaluated, in order to strengthen where and where the procedures are needed, so that the migration problem in our country can be better managed.
In Pournara, the new Minister of Interior was informed about the procedures that are followed before asylum seekers enter the Centre, how to submit the application and everything that is done to obtain the status of asylum seeker. At the moment the Centre is full and the problem will be solved with the construction and operation of the pre-removal centre at the Lakes in Mennogeia, which will have a capacity of one thousand people.
Mr. Ioannou's briefing will continue today regarding asylum, since he will visit the Asylum Service on Makarios Avenue in Nicosia, where he will be informed about the procedures followed from the moment an application is submitted until it is examined. At the moment, thousands of applications are pending and although the procedures have been accelerated, the Office has "drowned" in the files, due to the unprecedented number of applications as a result of the disproportionate migration flows that Cyprus receives. A bill requested by the previous Minister of Interior Nikos Nouris is already being prepared, to speed up the timeframes for examining applications at primary and secondary level as well as cutting off benefits when residence and working conditions are violated.
Among Mr. Ioannou's priorities is the reform of local government as well as the better management of Turkish Cypriot property, as well as the issues handled by the Department of Urban Planning. In the coming days he will deal with these issues so that everything goes smoothly, especially with regard to the upcoming reform
