-
.
- Ελληνικά
The President of the Republic Mr.Nicos Christodoulides chaired a meeting of the Council of Ministers at the Presidential Palace today: "The Republic of Cyprus attaches the utmost importance to the Central Asian region, a region that is among the main pillars of its foreign policy.
In this context, and taking into account our desire and aspiration to have a voice and role in the events in the region, by which we are directly or indirectly affected, Cyprus' diplomatic presence in Kazakhstan is important. Therefore, given the recovery of the Cypriot economy, political reasons require the strengthening of Cyprus' presence in Central Asia.
The Council of Ministers today decided to establish a Diplomatic Mission of the Republic of Cyprus to the Republic of Kazakhstan, which is considered of utmost importance.
The President of the Republic chaired a meeting this morning on more effective management of the migration issue. During the meeting, which was attended by the Minister of Interior, the Minister of Justice and Public Order, the Minister of Labour, the Deputy Minister to the President, the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare and the Chief of Police, after reviewing the measures taken so far and noting a great improvement in the situation, views were exchanged and it was decided to take additional measures and actions in order to further improve the good picture observed in recent months.
Considering that the management of the migration issue is a priority for the Government, it was noted that the timely implementation of decisions taken has contributed decisively to the improvement of the situation. The following effective measures, among others, have been taken and implemented to date. [*]More than doubling the number of asylum examiners from 31 to 82, resulting in a reduction of pending applications from 30,188 in March 2023 to 26,875 by the end of November. [*]Reduction of the period of examination of applications to 1 to 3 months maximum. [*]Reinforcement of the Returns Office with additional staff. [*]Increase the number of relocations and ensure a time extension of the programme. [*]Amend the Minimum Guaranteed Income and the Social Benefits Laws in general and submit them to Parliament so that third country nationals holding a legal status under the Refugee Law are required to have a period of five years of legal and continuous residence in the Republic of Cyprus prior to the date of application for EES. [*]Placement of an Asylum Service Officer on a permanent basis and conducting a number of interviews on a daily basis, according to a schedule agreed with the Directorate, at the premises of the Central Prison. [*]Conduct an information campaign in countries of origin such as Nigeria, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The information campaign has contributed to a significant reduction in the number of arrivals from these countries - 79 arrivals in November 2023 compared to 595 arrivals in the same month in 2022. [*]Increase of the waiting period for the right to work for asylum seekers from 1 to 9 months. [*]Completed the upgrading of the fencing at the Pournara CID for better control of people staying there and greater security for local residents. [*]Completion of the interconnection of the computerized system of the Asylum Service with the computerized system "Ergani" of the Ministry of Labour. [*]Intensification of Police operations, in cooperation with the Labour Inspection Department, for undeclared work checks. [*]Reinforcement, with three additional vessels, of the Port Police to guard the maritime borders. [*]Acceleration of the fostering procedures for unaccompanied minors who are in Pournara and have relatives in Cyprus. [*]Execution and implementation of the decree of the Prefect of Paphos, dated 17 November 2021, on the prohibition of use and occupation of the complex "Agios Nikolaos" in the municipality of Chloracca, pursuant to article 15 of the Roads and Buildings Law, in accordance with the decisions of the special meeting held in August 2023. [*]Doubling of joint FRONTEX forced return flights, compared to the same period last year, in which the Cyprus Police participate. [*]200% increase in the rate of deportations from the Menoyia detention centre. [*]Increase in detections and arrests of traffickers of irregular migrants. [*]Strengthening of the Aliens and Immigration Service of the Cyprus Police with a substantial increase in staff. [*]Targeted operations of the Cyprus Police throughout Cyprus. [/LIST]
The measures taken to date have paid off with asylum applications for the months of March to November 2023 amounting to 9,091, compared to 17,065 for the same period last year, while returns for the period from 1 January to 15 December 2023 amount to 9,324 compared to 5,166 for the same period last year, showing an 80% increase in returns. In the month of November there were 930 returns/deportations, a record number. If we add the relocations of 1,716 people, the total number of returns amounts to 11,040 people and, for the first time in the history of migration in Cyprus, more people have left than have arrived in the corresponding period.
In addition to the measures that have already been implemented, additional measures and actions that can be taken in the coming period were decided during the meeting. In particular, it was decided that. [*]To promote the strengthening and doubling of the penalties provided for offences related to the trafficking of irregular migrants. [*]Make representations to Interpol to strengthen cooperation with the competent authorities and the exchange of information. [*]Establishment of a special unit within the Cyprus Police to combat trafficking in illegal immigrants. [*]Payment of benefits to asylum seekers through a prepaid card to ensure that the benefits are actually used to cover living needs. [*]Accelerate Dublin Regulation procedures for the reunification of families in other European countries. [/LIST]
The effective management of increased migration flows remains a priority of President Christodoulides' administration and at the heart of the policies promoted by the relevant Ministries, with the aim of tackling the problem once and for all".
(RM/NG/EATH)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
