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The Head of the European Funds Unit of the Ministry of Interior, Mr. Constantinos Kyprianou, accompanied Mrs. Beate Gminder, Deputy Director General of the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, during her official visit to Cyprus on 5-7 July.
On 5 July Ms Gminder, accompanied by the Head of the European Funds Unit, met with the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Ms Marilena Evangelou for information and coordination, in the context of the competence of the Social Welfare Services to provide social welfare services to applicants and beneficiaries of international protection, as well as for housing and supporting the needs of minors and vulnerable applicants for international protection. During the meeting, the two sides discussed the possibility of providing European funding from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, through the European Funds Unit as the Managing Authority of the Fund, to support the Social Welfare Services in order for them to respond more effectively to Cyprus' obligations regarding the management of migration.
On Thursday, 6 July, the European official, in the presence of the Head of the European Funds Unit, had a meeting with the Minister of Interior Mr. Constantinos Ioannou for information and coordination purposes regarding the management of the migration challenges faced by Cyprus, as well as the progress of the implementation of important co-funded projects. The meeting was attended by the Executive Director of the European Asylum Agency, the Director General of the Ministry of Interior and officials.
On the same day the 6th Meeting of the Coordination Group for the Operational Cooperation Platform on Migration Management in Cyprus (OCP) was held, for the purpose of monitoring the implementation of the Action Plan for Migration Management agreed between the Republic of Cyprus and the European Commission.
Later the same day, Ms Gminder attended the inauguration ceremony of the first phase of the expansion of the Reception and Accommodation Centre for Applicants for International Protection in Kofinou. It is noted that part of the expansion of the Centre is expected to be implemented with funding from the European Union's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. Past expansions of the Centre have also been carried out with European funding from the EU Home Affairs Funds.
On Friday 7 July, accompanied by the Head of the European Funds Unit, he paid a visit to the "Pournara" First Reception Centre in Kokkinotrimithia, which was built with European funding and which is also due to be upgraded through EU emergency assistance.
On the same day, Ms Gminder and Mr Kyprianou visited the Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (RSRC) in Larnaca. As the body responsible for the coordination and management of search and rescue operations for persons - including third country nationals - in distress in the area of the Nicosia FIR, the CSEED has implemented and is implementing a number of projects co-funded by the European Union and the Republic of Cyprus, with the aim of upgrading the buildings and operations of the Republic of Cyprus for a more effective response to search and rescue incidents involving third country nationals. In the framework of her visit to the CEFID, the European official inspected the premises of the Centre which were built with funding from the EU Home Affairs Funds (which in Cyprus are distributed to implementing agencies through the European Funds Unit, as managing authority) and was briefed on the work carried out in terms of the management of migration flows.
It is noted that the European Funds Unit of the Ministry of Interior is the managing authority of Cyprus for the EU Home Affairs Funds for the programming period 2021-2027. The Home Affairs Funds consist of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (BAMF) and the Internal Security Fund (ISF).
The European Funds Unit was also the Responsible Authority for managing the EU Home Affairs Funds for the 2014-2020 programming period and the Solidarity and Migration Flows Funds for the 2007-2013 programming period.
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