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Deportation for non-Cypriots those who break the law
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FOREIGNERS deemed to be a threat to public safety could be deported from the island after the state decided to take a tougher stance on the matter.
Under the new initiative, authorities could choose to deport foreigners who are under a criminal investigation or suspected of being involved in repeated offences, rather than try their case in a Cyprus court.
Police chief Michalis Papageorgiou sent a relevant circular to senior police officers last Thursday instructing them to file reports concerning such cases and then to forward them to the interior ministry’s migration department, which will evaluate the possibility of deportation.
Deportation would be justified on the grounds of public safety and security, and could even include EU nationals.
The European Commission (EC) Directive 2004/38 claims that “restrictions…on the right of free movement and residence (can be placed) on the grounds of public policy, public security or public health.”
Repeated minor offences and serious traffic offences could be considered as a threat to public safety and could warrant deportation according to the circular.
The initiative was agreed after a meeting between Papageorgiou and the head of the civil registry and migration department, Anni Shakalli, which sought to strengthen their cooperation.
Police spokesman, Andreas Angelides stressed that it was not a matter of a targeted persecution of all foreigners in Cyprus.
“Citizens who respect the law, whether Cypriot or foreign are considered part of the community but the people who put society’s wellbeing and safety in jeopardy face their exclusion from the community” Angelides said.
Any cancellation of residence permits and deportation will be subject to an extensive substantiated report, filed by the police and evaluated by the migration department.
“The police do not have the authority to deport people. Deportation will only be done upon the decision of the migration department after much research,” Angelides said.
The interior ministry and migration department were unavailable for comment.
