Filenews 22 January 2026
From December 10, 2025 until yesterday, there have been 164 deportations of foreigners from detention centers and the Central Prisons, 450 voluntary departures and 29 voluntary departures, government sources say.
They noted that operations to locate illegal immigrants and the flexible management of the issue of decongestion of the Central Prisons continue at an intensive pace throughout Cyprus and that a decision coordinated with absolute priority by the Government to reduce overcrowding in prisons along with effective control of illegal immigration "is yielding significant results".
Specifically, as reported, from December 10, 2025 until yesterday, there have been 164 deportations of foreigners from detention centers and the Central Prisons, 450 voluntary departures and 29 voluntary departures (i.e. people who were illegally in the Republic of Cyprus and chose to leave voluntarily) with the total number amounting to 643.
In the context of these actions, it is recalled that the President of the Republic announced the intention to implement measures within January and that consultations had been launched between the Attorney General's Office, the Ministry of Justice and the Deputy Ministry of Aliens and Immigration on the implementation of mechanisms that will strengthen voluntary returns, including the possible release of about 100 prisoners who have been convicted of non-serious offenses and are foreigners, with respect to the current legal and humanitarian frameworks, the same sources said.
CNA
