In the framework of a series of contacts with the parliamentary parties for information on the migration issue, Interior Minister Nikos Nouris met today with the President of ELAM Mr. Chris Christos Christou and MP Linos Papagiannis.
The Minister said that the parliamentary group and the President of ELAM were briefed today, as a continuation of a cycle of contacts with the parliamentary parties. He said that so far a relevant briefing has been given to DIKO, while in a few days the EDEK, DIPA, AKEL, DISY and the Movement of Ecologists - Citizens' Co-operation will follow in order to complete the cycle of briefings.
"Since the issue of immigration is a problem that concerns all the parliamentary parties, it is a national problem. And, of course, the parties should have - and they have from us - full information," the Minister noted.
Through the discussion, views were exchanged regarding the problem and how to manage it, he said.
"I have informed him about the situation in our country, but also about the recent agreements concluded between the Republic of Cyprus and the European Union at various levels, and of course about the actions taken by the Ministry of Interior and the Government to drastically reduce migration flows," he said.
He added that "it is well known that at the moment the country is receiving a very large number of flows."
"At the same time, apart from the management of the Green Line, which is the entry point to the Republic of Cyprus for 85 per cent of irregular migrants, what we have focused our attention on as the Interior Ministry is the issues of returns," he said. He added that the effort is in cooperation with various European authorities, such as the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX) and the European Union Agency for Asylum, but also with the EU itself and a number of countries, which, the minister noted, "have volunteered to help us maximise returns."
The President of ELAM said in his statements that he and the Minister discussed general issues related to the handling of the Ministry of Interior, with particular emphasis on the migration problem, which, he said, "is one of the most important issues facing Cyprus."
"We are pleased on the one hand because actions are being taken in the right direction, which we welcome and support. On the other hand, precisely because of the magnitude of this particular problem, we ask for further measures and we ask the state to understand that small Cyprus can no longer accommodate a huge number of political asylum seekers," he said.
He pointed out that on the one hand Turkey receives European funding, but at the same time it directs migration flows to countries like Cyprus.
(EFYs)
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