Turkey is using migration as a tool of hybrid warfare against Cyprus, channeling large numbers of asylum seekers through the ceasefire line to the areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus, stressed MEP Kyriakos Hatzigiannis, who participated in an online meeting of the ad hoc Committee on Migration of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA), in his capacity as Vice-Chairman.
According to a statement of the Parliament, in his intervention in a debate on the situation at the eastern border of the EU, Mr. Hatzigiannis pointed out that the EU, due to the absence of legal channels for the transport of refugees on its territory, is exposed to blackmail by countries which instrumentalise human suffering and systematically push migrants to the European borders in order to secure political benefits.
Hatzigiannis pointed out that apart from Belarus, Turkey is also a prime example.
Referring to the efforts made by Cyprus to tackle the phenomenon. Hatzigianni informed the members of the Ad Hoc Committee about the request of the Republic of Cyprus to the European Commission for the adoption of emergency measures, including the temporary suspension of the acceptance of new asylum applications, the immediate introduction of a mandatory relocation system for Cyprus, emergency financial assistance in order for the country to cover the operating costs of the reception centres and, finally, support for the surveillance of the Green Line.
He noted the symbolic gesture of Pope Francis, during his recent visit to Cyprus, to bring to the Holy See a number of migrants from reception centres in Cyprus, sending a strong message about the need for humanitarian management of this issue. Hatzigiannis stressed that the management of refugee and migrant flows is a huge challenge, for which a comprehensive solution must be found, always with respect for human rights but also with a view to ensuring the security and interests of all states.
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