The deputy migration ministry on Tuesday presented a new plan to assist the voluntary return of Syrian families to their homeland including financial incentives of up to €2,000 per person.

“Those who are not entitled to asylum should immediately depart the Republic of Cyprus. Those who choose to join this plan can do so with support, with clear procedures and with dignity,” said Deputy Migration Minister Nicholas Ioannides.

The new plan is applicable to families of Syrian nationals, as well as couples without children, given that at least one of the spouses has submitted a request for international protection or has received a relevant status before December 31, 2024.

Under the scheme, one adult family member will be able to remain in Cyprus for employment purposes with a special two-year residence permit and free access to the labour market until August 31, 2028.

Meanwhile, the rest of the family will return to Syria, for which they will receive financial incentives amounting to €2,000 per returning partner, €1,500 per returning child and an additional €1,000 per family for those who have already been granted international protection status.

According to the deputy minister, the financial incentives will be largely provided by European programmes.

Ioannides said that the new plan links migration management, returns, legal employment and labour market needs, while ensuring the safe and dignified return of Syrian families and assuring that asylum is only granted to those entitled to it.

“Those whose asylum applications have been rejected or whose asylum status has been revoked will have to leave Cyprus,” he said.

The deputy minister added that the process to revoke the asylum status of Syrian nationals had already begun, with more than 1,500 asylum applications rejected to date.

The new scheme follows the introduction of a relevant pilot project in 2025, which saw the participation of around 900 people – none of whom has since returned to the island, according to the deputy ministry.

Parties interested in participating in the programme can submit an application at the offices of the asylum service, at the police’s immigration department district offices and at the Pournara reception centre in Nicosia.

The announcement of the new scheme comes a day after the European Union said it would be allocating a total of €800 million for Cyprus to tackle immigration in the period between 2028 and 2034, with Ioannides emphasising that Cyprus needed to increase  funds to “handle the situation”, stressing that most of the funds needed to be provided by the EU.

In the current planning period, Cyprus has been approved for €480 million, of which €304 million has already been allocated to projects including the Limnes reception centre, as well as the upgrading of the reception centre Pournara.