The Parliamentary Committee on the Interior met today, Friday 8 April 2022, at a meeting during which, at its request, it received a delegation consisting of the President and members of the Petitions Committee of the Parliament of the German State of Hesse.
The discussion focused on issues within the remit of the two committees and concentrated on migration issues and the problems faced by the Republic of Cyprus as a result of increased migration flows.
The Chairman of the Committee on Home Affairs, Mr. Aristos Damianou made a special reference to the humanitarian crisis that arose due to the war in Ukraine, noting the solidarity shown by Cyprus to the refugees from Ukraine, the granting of rights to them, as well as the sending of significant humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Damianou stressed that most of the migrants arrive in the Republic from Turkey and cross the ceasefire line and end up in the Republic of Cyprus-controlled areas. He also referred to the complexity of the management of the migration issue, given the fact that the asylum seekers arriving in Cyprus come from different countries and have different needs.
Damianou stressed the need for structures, infrastructures and procedures in Cyprus, the obligation to treat these people on the basis of humanitarian criteria and dignity and the need for the EU member states to show solidarity in order to better support the Republic of Cyprus, as well as the other Member States of the European Union.
