Filenews 13 December 2024
A number of Syrians residing in Cyprus "have already withdrawn their asylum applications and renounced their subsidiary protection status," Deputy Migration Minister Nicolas Ioannides said yesterday upon his arrival at the EU Home Affairs Council in Brussels, which was expected to discuss, among other things, the impact of the fall of the Assad regime on migration management.
According to data obtained by "F", since Monday there have been a total of 110 withdrawals of asylum applications and resignations of subsidiary protection status. Today, alone, 20 people have applied for the withdrawal of their asylum application and 4 have requested waivers of protection status.
"In light of recent developments in Syria, I would like to stress that it is necessary to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country," Ioannides said.
"We are closely monitoring developments in Syria and today we will have the opportunity to exchange views on this issue with other member states and the Commission," he added.
"It is also crucial to achieve security and stability in Syria for the benefit of the Syrian people and the wider region," he said.
According to the agenda of the meeting, the Commission was due to inform the 27 ministers on the state of implementation of the new legislative framework on migration and defence in view of its entry into force in June 2026. Ministers were also due to discuss the external dimension of migration over a working lunch.
"In recent days, several countries have suspended the examination of asylum applications by Syrians – Cyprus had done so since April 2024," Ioannides said on his arrival.
"In addition, I would like to point out that Syrians residing in Cyprus have already withdrawn their asylum applications and renounced their subsidiary protection status," he continued, explaining that in this context Cyprus "has taken measures to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of Syrian nationals."
He added that Cyprus is still committed to continue discussions with EU partners and the European Commission "in order to find new solutions to address the migration issue".
In this context, we would like to express our readiness to discuss new solutions that will facilitate the creation of a more effective and humane migration management system, always in accordance with international and European law, and of course taking into account the current capabilities of each member state, especially frontline states such as Cyprus.
