Cyprus, after going through forty million waves, thousands of migrants settled on the island, where they wanted by creating ghettos, comes the first National Migrant Integration Strategy 2025-2029 accompanied by an Action Plan to regulate the wrongs and eliminate the reactions of local communities.
The admission of the Deputy Minister of Migration, Nikolas Ioannidis, that when integration is implemented in a fragmented manner, social gaps are created which are quickly filled with marginalization, the underground economy, exploitation and ghettoization phenomena. When these are consolidated, the cost is not only economic. It is social, institutional and, ultimately, security costs.
With the Action Plan, intensive language courses will be held in Kofinou and Limnes for asylum seekers on a rolling basis, free Greek language learning courses will be provided, at all levels on a rolling basis in person and online with a certificate of attendance after an examination outside accommodation centers. The HelpRefugeesWork.org platform will be adopted as a tool to facilitate access to employment. The platform, which is already operational, is recognised as European good practice. Affordable or free childcare programs will be promoted to facilitate migrant women's access to employment. Cultural orientation courses will be held for the new arrivals to support their integration into the local community. The employment and housing areas of immigrants will be mapped.
The Deputy Minister of Migration clarifies that the Strategy is not an "open door" policy and warns those who do not adapt that they will be treated strictly.
"F" presents the National Strategy with the Deputy Minister of Migration as a "guide", who explains that the Republic of Cyprus is moving into a more comprehensive, mature and institutionally shielded phase of migration policy. At this stage, the management of migration flows, security, social cohesion, an aspect of which is the functional integration of legally residing third-country nationals, are treated as interrelated concepts. Migration is an ongoing condition that affects the labour market, local communities, and the overall resilience of the state. That is why it requires a policy with rules, methodology, coordination and measurable results.
In this context, and as expressly provided for in the law establishing the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection, one of the main responsibilities and responsibilities of the Deputy Ministry is to develop a strategy for the integration of legally residing third-country nationals in the Republic and to coordinate the execution of the necessary actions for its implementation, in cooperation with other ministries, agencies and state authorities. On this basis, the Deputy Ministry prepared and submitted for public consultation the first National Strategy for the Integration of Migrants and the related Action Plan for the period 2025-2029, which is expected to be submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval in January.
This Strategy addresses a reality that already exists and will continue to exist: People legally residing in Cyprus for work, studies, vocational training, international protection or other forms of legal residence. Its aim is to strengthen social cohesion, to reduce social friction and to take into account the concerns of society, to ensure public order and to productively utilize the human resources already in the country, with respect to the law.
It is of particular importance that the Strategy is based on European and international guidelines. It is fully in line with the European acquis and modern governance practices in migration and asylum, where integration is not seen as an "appendage" of policy, but as an indispensable pillar for the stability and sustainability of comprehensive migration arrangements. Cyprus is thus moving forward with a framework that is linked to the European priorities for integration, to the broader strategic approach formulated by the European Union, but also to the international commitments to protect rights and dignity, always, however, keeping in mind the issues that concern Cypriot society.
But why was it deemed necessary to draw up the National Strategy now? According to the Deputy Minister of Migration, integration policies have been implemented for years in many European countries, but the strong migratory pressures of recent years have become more evident, which international experience clearly shows that: when integration is implemented in a fragmented manner, social gaps are created which are quickly filled with marginalization, the underground economy, exploitation and ghettoization phenomena. When these are consolidated, the cost is not only economic. It is social, institutional and, ultimately, security costs.
In Cyprus, the pressures of previous years have burdened services, structures and local communities. The sharp decrease in flows after 2023, due to the Government's measures, created room for better planning. However, some challenges remain, which the Deputy Ministry is managing. Until now, integration actions have often been implemented without uniform coordination, with different priorities from different actors and without a fixed monitoring mechanism. As a result, there is not always a clear picture of what works and what does not, but also distortions are created.
Who is it for?
The Strategy, according to Mr. Ioannidis, is addressed to all legally residing third-country nationals. The main target groups include people legally residing in the Republic with work, study permits or other legal arrangements, including people who have been granted international protection or whose asylum application is pending. At the same time, attention is paid to groups with increased support needs, such as unaccompanied minors, as well as to cases that require a more targeted approach, such as women with family obligations.
The central philosophy of the Strategy is that integration is a two-way process. It does not only concern migrants, but also the host society, which is called upon to organize services, inform responsibly and create real routes of participation. In order for this to work, he says, the state invests in coordinated interventions that give people the necessary skills to understand and respect the institutional and social framework of the country, to exercise their rights, to meet their obligations, to meet their basic needs and, ultimately, to participate actively and responsibly in the social, economic and public life.
At the same time, the Deputy Minister notes, the Strategy has a clear orientation towards economic and social autonomy. Legal work is promoted as the most stable path to integration, because it reduces the shadow economy, prevents exploitation, strengthens taxable productive activity and reduces dependence on the state.
Betting and the non-open door policy
The National Strategy for the Integration of Migrants and the accompanying Action Plan constitute an institutional breakthrough. This is not an "open door" policy, nor vague declarations, the Deputy Minister of Migration clarifies. It is a strictly structured framework that organizes the legal reality, while protecting public order and security, as well as social cohesion.
Looking to the future, he notes, the Strategy also sets a clear principle that will gradually guide the next policies: As the infrastructure is completed and the integrated support and integration interventions are consolidated, the state will provide substantial opportunities to those legally residing in the Republic to functionally integrate and progress, only if they make a meaningful contribution to Cypriot society. In order for the system to fully work, the active commitment of the immigrants themselves in their integration process will also be required. Participation in language courses, the utilization of employment opportunities, compliance with the institutional framework, respect for the rules of social coexistence and the effort for active participation in public affairs, are basic conditions for two-way integration to work in practice. He is adamant: otherwise, those who refuse to adapt and do not respect the society that hosts them, will be treated with severity.
At a time when migration remains a top issue for the whole of Europe, the government of the Republic of Cyprus, one of the few EU member states that has such a comprehensive Integration Strategy, is opting for a balanced, serious and strategically oriented approach. With respect to European and international directions, with clear goals and with measurable implementation, it seeks to transform a complex reality into a field of organization, stability and mutual benefit. This is the bet of the 2025-2029 Strategy: To strengthen social cohesion, protect public order, support the economy and shape an integration framework that works in practice and stands the test of time.
The four pillars for reintegration
The National Strategy for the Integration of Migrants is organized into four main pillars, which are reflected as four strategic goals and form the backbone of the Action Plan 2025-2029.
- The first pillar concerns socio-economic inclusion and equal access to education, employment and social services. This includes the most tangible interventions, such as organised Greek language courses at different levels, skills development – including digital skills – vocational training and labour market orientation, as well as support for access to stable and decent housing. The expected positive effect of this pillar is twofold: on the one hand, immigrants acquire integration tools and the prospect of autonomy, and on the other hand, the state enhances normality and limits the shadow economy. After all, immigrants who know Greek and practice necessary professions are always useful members of our society.
- The second pillar concerns awareness, social cohesion and tackling stereotypes, as there have always been immigrants in Cypriot society. Experience has shown that when valid information is absent, gaps are created that are covered by rumours, misinformation and oversimplifications. These damage social cohesion and make even the right policies difficult. The Strategy, therefore, provides for a targeted communication approach to both immigrants and the local community. For immigrants, the goal is to have understandable and reliable information about rights, obligations, rules of public operation and opportunities to participate in social and economic life. Towards the local community, the goal is to form a realistic framework for understanding the phenomenon, based on documented data, so that the public dialogue takes place with sobriety, without exaggerations and without demonization. The positive effect here is to reduce tensions, strengthen trust in institutions and prevent social confrontations that undermine stability.
- The third pillar focuses on equal access to health and the removal of barriers that make it particularly difficult for vulnerable groups. The Strategy promotes practices that facilitate the use of services in an inclusive, functional and real-world way to ensure public health.
- The fourth pillar concerns legal and political harmonisation, so that accession is based on a coherent framework and not on temporary solutions. Institutional consistency is necessary in order not to create gaps, overlaps or contradictions, while allowing the state to implement an integration policy that is in line with European developments and international obligations. In this way, integration is part of a governance system that stands the test of time, while it does not depend on fragmented and uncoordinated initiatives.
Language, work, education and housing
Communication strategy for migrants and citizens
The Action Plan 2025-2029, as Mr. Ioannidis observes, specifies the goals with specific actions, timetables, implementing bodies and performance indicators, so that there is monitoring, evaluation and the possibility of adjustment when necessary. At its core is linguistic integration. Knowledge of Greek is not treated as a formal qualification, but as a prerequisite for everyday life to function: work, school, services, social contact. For this reason, organised courses are planned at different levels, with an emphasis on practical use and connection with the labour market, so that the language becomes a real tool for integration.
The second critical axis is employment. The Strategy gives a clear direction: legal work is the most stable path to integration, which is why actions for training, skills development, career guidance and meaningful information on obligations and rights in the workplace are foreseen. Inclusion here makes practical sense: participation, consistency, security, compliance with the rules and the possibility of progress.
Particular emphasis is placed on preventing segregation and ghettoization. Where concentrations of populations are created without adequate support, without contact with state institutions and without balanced participation in the life of the community, the risk of creating parallel societies increases. The Strategy aims to reduce precisely these conditions, fostering a more balanced social participation and a better connection with the country's services and institutional framework. Also, preventing marginalization reduces the chances of delinquent behaviour and enhances public order and safety.
State education also holds an important place, through cultural and social orientation programs. This knowledge reduces confusion, reduces misunderstandings and strengthens responsible participation, since in order for coexistence to function smoothly, people must know and respect basic rules, social norms, obligations and rights, as well as the way in which services, institutions, education and the labour market operate.
One of the most essential axes of the Strategy, it is emphasized, is communication. When the state speaks clearly, with facts, with practical information and with a clear description of what is happening and why, the scope for misinformation and polarization is reduced. The communication strategy is aimed at both immigrants and citizens. It gives immigrants valid, accessible information, so that they can move clearly within the institutional framework. In the host society, it gives a realistic picture of the legal reality, explains the goals of the state and supports a public dialogue that is not based on fear or oversimplifications, but on sobriety and documentation.
