An important decision was taken yesterday by the Council of Ministers related to the asylum procedures of people who attempt to enter our country and apply for asylum.
The Regulation on a common procedure for international protection in the EU is adopted and the Center for First Reception, Control, Screening and Identification (KEDYT) "Pournara" has been designated, at the same time as the "Center for Asylum Procedures at the Border", with foreign asylum seekers not being considered to have entered the country. Information from "F" states that "Pournara", although it is located on the mainland, however, for the purposes of implementing the relevant asylum procedures at the border, it will be considered that those foreigners who are taken there will not have yet entered the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.
This development is considered to be very important, because foreigners coming to Cyprus will remain in "Pournara" and in 12 weeks it will be decided whether they will remain in the Republic or their return procedures will be initiated immediately. According to the Regulation, during the asylum procedure at the border, which takes place after the completion of the screening, applicants do not have permission to enter the Republic of Cyprus and must remain at the external border or in designated locations near them. The measure of aliens staying at the border (in the case of Cyprus "Pournara") will apply when the asylum seeker poses a risk to national security or public order, when he has deliberately misled the authorities about his identity or nationality or when his application is considered likely to be unfounded, or if he comes from a safe country of origin.
Two Palestinians are deported
In the meantime, two Palestinians, who had attacked three Israeli citizens in the center of Nicosia the day before yesterday, will make their way back to their country. On the instructions of the Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection, Nikolas Ioannidis, the asylum status of the two perpetrators who had attacked the three Israelis is immediately removed. The Deputy Minister of Migration, asked by "F" to comment on the incident, reiterated that such behaviours are not tolerated and the government's policy in such incidents is very strict. "Those foreigners who do not respect the host country by demonstrating delinquent behaviour will have consequences and their asylum status will be revoked," Mr. Ioannidis stressed.
The attack and injury of the three Israelis in the center of Nicosia happened the day before yesterday and, in fact, in broad daylight in plain sight. According to police information, the three Israelis complained that they were attacked while they were in the walled city by two people. In fact, one of the Israelis seems to have been injured in the ear.
Now, all the procedures will be carried out so that the two will be stripped of the status they had until now and the repatriation procedures will be initiated in their country.
