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Meeting of Minister of Interior Mr. Konstantinos Ioannou with EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ms Ylva Johansson
The impressive progress that Cyprus has achieved in relation to the management of the migration issue can serve as an example for the others, said EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ms Ylva Johansson, following her meeting with Interior Minister Mr. Ylvl Ylvsannisson, after she met with the Minister of Interior, Mr. Constantinos Ioannou. During the meeting, Mr. Ioannou presented in detail the measures implemented by the Republic of Cyprus to manage the migration issue and their results, while the issue of the re-evaluation of the Syrian regime was also discussed.
In statements after the meeting, welcoming Ms Johansson to Cyprus and thanking her for the constructive discussion, Mr Ioannou said that at today's meeting he had the opportunity to present the actions being implemented in Cyprus for a holistic response to the challenge of migration. "Cyprus, as an island and a country outside the Schengen Area, faces the biggest migration problem among the EU Member States. In particular, 5.5% of the population, four times higher than the EU average, are new asylum seekers or hold international protection status," said the Minister of Interior. Ioannou informed the European official about the Government's new approach over the last ten months, which focuses on four pillars: reducing arrivals, upgrading infrastructure, speeding up procedures for processing applications and increasing returns.
Listing some of the measures, Mr Ioannou mentioned the more than doubling of the number of asylum examiners, which resulted in a reduction in the time needed for a decision from 9-21 months to 1-3 months, as well as an increase in the number of decisions. "In addition to this, we are intensively promoting the voluntary return programme, with the granting of financial incentives."
"These measures have resulted in a reduction in the numbers of arrivals and applications. According to the data, there is a change in the trend in terms of migrant arrivals compared to 2022. In particular, in 2023 the total number of arrivals and applications decreased by 50% compared to 2022, while the number of arrivals from African countries, through the Green Line, decreased by 60%," he explained. As the Interior Minister pointed out, for the first time the picture is positive in terms of the number of people leaving Cyprus compared to the number of people arriving on the island. "The fact that, by 2023, the rate of returns as a percentage of arrivals reached 116% is remarkable, especially if we take into account the situation in the rest of Europe," he said.
In relation to the completion of the Eastern Mediterranean Action Plan, Ioannou conveyed his satisfaction with the development, saying that this is an important tool in the external dimension of the migration issue. According to the Cypriot Minister, already since the start of the implementation of the Plan, a significant reduction in the number of migrants arriving from Turkey has been recorded. He expressed confidence that the full implementation of the Action Plan will bring even more noticeable results.
The Interior Minister then referred to the pillar of integration of migrants, noting that integration is interlinked with the reduction in the number of arrivals. To this end, two separate strategies are being developed in cooperation with other Ministries and Agencies, which will be implemented within 2024 and are part of an integrated policy to create a better supportive environment for people with migrant biographies in need.
Regarding the increase in migrant arrivals from Syria, Ioannou conveyed to Ms Johansson Cyprus' concern about the massive refugee flows from Syria. According to the Minister, Cyprus is called upon to manage a large number of refugees with international protection status, since, due to its geographical proximity to Syria, Cyprus is exposed to disproportionately large numbers of irregular migrants, which, by extension, causes intense pressure on our country's reception system.
In this regard, the Interior Minister said, "I reiterated our position that the time has come, collectively, to open the debate on the reassessment of the status of Syria or specific areas in the country and, by extension, the protection status of Syrians. We need to review the overall situation on the basis of the current realities and find the most balanced way to manage this issue, taking into account the geopolitical developments in the Eastern Mediterranean region."
Finally, Ioannou pointed out that the management of migration is high on the Government's priorities and referred to the very close and sincere cooperation developed over the last ten months with the European Commission. She concluded by reiterating the Government's commitment to addressing the challenges posed by migration.
For her part, Ms Johansson, also speaking in English, congratulated the Minister of Interior on the positive results in terms of migration management. "We have seen impressive progress from the cooperation of the Cypriot authorities with the Commission. What you have achieved with the huge reduction in irregular arrivals, the implementation of the Eastern Mediterranean Action Plan, the impressive increase in returns, which is really outstanding compared to other Member States, can be an example for others," Ms Johansson said. She also welcomed Cyprus' approach in relation to promoting legal migration to replace illegal migration in order to address the migration issue in a methodical way.
Referring to the change in the process of examining asylum applications by the Cypriot authorities, the Home Affairs Commissioner pointed out that speeding up the completion of the examination of applications is beneficial both for the applicants themselves and for society at large.
In relation to the situation in the Middle East and the war between Israel and Hamas, the European official congratulated the Interior Minister for making adequate preparations through a contingency plan to deal with any mass flows of irregular migrants. Ms Johansson sent the message that Cyprus is not alone, stressing that the EU will stand by the country, as it has done so far. "Of course, the most important thing is to avoid a crisis situation. For this, we have discussed how to avoid and deal with the new route that we see taking shape in relation to arrivals by sea from Lebanon or maybe Syria to Cyprus. This is our common commitment, to work to tackle these new routes and to fight against the smuggling rings", she explained.
Continuing on the issue of smuggling rings, the Home Affairs Commissioner referred to the large sums of money that migrants pay to smugglers to make what she described as a very dangerous journey. In order to coordinate and cooperate in the fight against migrant trafficking circuits, an international conference was held under the chairmanship of the Commissioner, while two legislative proposals have recently been submitted for the formulation and strengthening of the EU legislative framework, while strengthening Europol, in order to better tackle the circuits.
"Cyprus is an island with a very specific geographical situation. That is why it is necessary to be supported financially by the Commission. This is what we will continue to do. And it is for this reason that it is necessary to support you on the issue of relocation of migrants from Cyprus to other Member States. This is what we will continue to do. And that is why it is important that we support you with close cooperation to solve the different challenges that you face. And we will continue to do so," Ms Johansson said, reiterating the commitment to continue working together to address the challenges that still exist.
Asked about the discussion regarding the reassessment of the EU's position on the Syrian regime, Ms Johansson went on to say that "this is not an easy issue. We have discussed it and we will continue to discuss it further."
Asked if there is an intention to provide financial assistance to Lebanon in a similar way to what is being done with Turkey, given the volatile situation in the region, so that Lebanon can do more to help prevent boats from sailing off its shores, the Home Affairs Commissioner explained that financial assistance is already being provided to Lebanon. She pointed out that the country is an important partner and therefore there is an intention to continue the support.
In response to a question on whether the rise of xenophobic, anti-immigration forces in Europe over the last two years would hinder the European perspective for a common immigration policy, in view of the European elections and the trend towards the election of more far-right MEPs, the European official expressed strong concern about the phenomena of racism and xenophobic rhetoric, saying that this phenomenon must be addressed. "It is a poison for society that prevents us from working and living together as a society. That is why integration measures are so important," he said. According to Ms Johansson, the rise of anti-immigration forces does not prevent the achievement of a common European policy on migration and asylum, as this has been achieved on 20 December (with the adoption of the Pact on Immigration and Asylum by the European Parliament). This is a major achievement, he said, which was achieved thanks to the constructive approach of all Ministers and the European Parliament.
Closed to comment on the effort to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza and the Republic of Cyprus' initiative to establish a maritime humanitarian corridor, Ms Johansson said that the EU "has clearly shown its strong commitment to provide the necessary humanitarian assistance because the situation in Gaza is really bad and people are suffering and being killed. That is why the European Commission has significantly stepped up financial support and logistical assistance."
Finally, unable to say what her vision for migration is, Ms Johansson replied that, as a Commission, "we have taken important steps to manage migration in a methodical way and we will continue to do so. The fact that we have reached a political agreement with the new Pact was important, but now we need to implement it. When it is implemented, we will have a stronger, more European way of dealing with migration, with stronger protection of our external borders and the fundamental rights of asylum seekers and with a compulsory solidarity mechanism in the EU. This will be very important, but it will not be enough. We need to do more to fight traffickers' networks, which is why I am promoting new legislative proposals and international alliances with third countries. This will not be enough either. We also need to work and support third countries in their efforts, to work together with transit countries. Migration is manageable, but we need to work together, because the only way to deal with migration in a methodical way is to do it together."
(MCI)
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