A new migration management centre was opened in the north on Thursday, with the aim of allowing the Turkish Cypriot authorities to better manage the phenomenon of irregular migration.

In addition, the Turkish Cypriot authorities took delivery of six “mobile migration management points” – vans which will tour the island’s northern third with the aim of combatting irregular migration.

The move comes after Turkey has faced years of criticism for the crossing of irregular migrants from the north into the Republic, with some accusing the country of inaction over the matter and others accusing it of aiding and abetting migrant flows to the Republic of Cyprus via the north.

The vans belong to Turkey’s interior ministry, with similar vans having been in use in Turkey since 2023.

In Turkey, they are used as a secondary check regarding migration status, with individuals who are unable to prove to the police that they have the requisite papers to reside in Turkey taken to the vans to have their fingerprints scanned and their biometric data checked against the country’s interior ministry’s database.

If it is found that they do not have the right to reside in Turkey, the individuals are then taken to repatriation centres and deportation proceedings are initiated.

The migration management centre is located in northern Nicosia, and its staff will be tasked with the registration processes of all non-Turkish Cypriots who wish to reside in the north.

Speaking at the centre’s opening on Thursday, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that “the strategic management of migration is of great importance for the peace and security of the TRNC”, and added that Turkey “has become a country which successfully manages migration”.

“We managed every step regarding migration by taking systematic steps in accordance with the law, with the priorities of humanity and public order, and we were successful,” he said, adding that he now aims to implement “a similar model” of migration management in the north.

“The opening of this centre is a turning point in the fight against irregular migration, and it will add strength to the TRNC. It will provide the TRNC with a modern migration system, with an effective and rapid fight to be carried out against irregular migration,” he said.

“With effective work, the TRNC will no longer be a target for irregular migration or a transit point for irregular migrants. We will continue to stand firmly by the TRNC,” he said.

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar also attended the centre’s opening, and said the vans will “carry out the necessary inspections everywhere” and that “peace and security will be guaranteed in the country”.

“Border security is important. It is important to protect the country, because the TRNC is growing every day, and tourists, students, and workers are coming to the country and some undesirable events are also occurring at present,” he said.

He added that for this reason, the investment in the new centre and the vans “are investments in the future and in security”.

The north’s ‘interior minister’ Dursun Oguz also spoke at the centre’s opening, with his ‘ministry’ set to take on the running of the centre and of the vans.

“This centre will undertake very important tasks … such as effectively combating irregular migration, identifying and deporting foreigners who are involved in crime or who are threatening public order, analysing people suspected of crimes more quickly and securely through biometric data collection, and carrying out repatriation procedures in full coordination with the Republic of Turkey,” he said.