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The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Anita Demetriou, had today a formal meeting with the Deputy Minister of Immigration and International Protection, Mr. Nikola Ioannidis, on the occasion of his recent assumption of office. During the meeting, Mr Ioannidis informed the President of the Parliament about the important role of the new Deputy Ministry in the effective management of the migration issue, as well as about its organisational and administrative structure based on the pre-existing structures at the Ministry of Interior, namely the Migration Department and the Asylum Service. He also referred to the amendments to the existing legislative framework promoted by the executive branch and the submission of relevant bills to the Parliament at the beginning of the new Summit, in order to further speed up the procedures for the examination of asylum applications and the immediate repatriation of those who are not eligible.
During the meeting, views were exchanged on all aspects of the migration issue, and the Deputy Minister informed the Speaker of Parliament about the forthcoming start of a structured dialogue with representatives of the UNHCR, with the aim of resolving the emerging issue of irregular migrants in the buffer zone.
As he said, facilities are being provided, but the passage of flows of migrants from Turkey through the Republic-controlled areas to the buffer zone and from there to the free areas is not acceptable.
The Speaker of the Parliament, for her part, assured the Deputy Minister that the Parliament, being fully aware of the whole situation and the multiple challenges with which the Republic of Cyprus is confronted in the midst of serious geopolitical developments in the region, will proceed, within the framework of its powers, without delay in examining the legislative proposals to be submitted to the Parliament.
He also informed the Deputy Minister of the efforts that he, as President of the Parliament, is making, within the framework of the parliamentary diplomacy he is exercising, to achieve synergies between all the countries of the Mediterranean South affected by irregular flows. She referred in particular to the initiative she had taken, in the context of the Conference of the Presidents of the Parliaments of the Member States of the European Union (EU) in Palma de Mallorca, on 23 April 2024, which resulted in the first joint meeting of the Presidents/Vice-Presidents of Cyprus, Greece, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Malta, with the participation of the European Parliament. During this meeting, a draft Joint Declaration, submitted on behalf of the House of Representatives, was discussed in relation to the external dimension of European migration policy as part of a common approach to the effective management of asylum and migration and to addressing the burden of migratory flows on these countries as host countries.
Finally, it was agreed with the responsible Deputy Minister that the Government and the Parliament will continue and maintain constant communication in order to jointly address the major challenges that Cyprus faces as a host country for refugees and irregular migrants.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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