Cyprus ‘ready’ for influx of migrants in case of war
Cyprus will be ready to deal with an influx of migrants should the situation in the Middle East worsen, deputy minister of migration Nicholas Ioannides said on Wednesday, as the ...
North arrests would-be asylum seeker mother of six
A 33-year-old Syrian mother of six was arrested in the north in the early hours of Tuesday morning, it emerged on Wednesday, after attempting to travel to the Republic of ...
Cyprus among EU countries calling for Syria to be declared safe
Cyprus is among eight countries that have asked the EU to rethink its strategy on migrants from Syria, in a letter seen by the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) on Monday.
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More than 200 deported from Cyprus in past week
Hundreds of people have been repatriated after they were found to be living illegally in the Republic of Cyprus, it was reported on Saturday.
According to a police announcement, 201 people ...
Cyprus raises alarm over link between north universities and people smuggling
The Cypriot government on Monday raised the alarm over apparent links between universities in the north and people smuggling.
The interior and education ministries filed a joint complaint to the ...
Tensions flare on Poland-Belarus border as more migrants arrive
By Barbara Erling, Kuba Stezycki and Kacper Pempel
Surrounded by lush forests, a dozen people huddled near a razor-tipped fence along the Belarus border, waiting for a chance to scale ...
Govt hits back over UN concerns on migrants stranded in buffer zone
The blazing heat in Cyprus has increased concerns over the health and safety of a number of migrants stranded in the buffer zone for days, the UN warned on Wednesday, ...
Dozens of migrants stranded in buffer zone
The Cyprus government ‘doesn’t have a leg to stand on’ by leaving migrants stranded in the UN buffer zone for close to a week, sources close to the matter ...
Switzerland gifts Cyprus money for migrant return centre
The Swiss government on Wednesday announced it had gifted Cyprus CHF1.05 million (€1.1m) for the construction of a voluntary return centre for migrants.
The centre will be operated by the ...
Suspected people smuggler arrested
Nicosia police arrested a 38-year-old man suspected to have smuggled two people into the country on Thursday.
The arrest, conducted in the early morning hours, also concerned the 21-year-old man ...
Five migrant boats pushed back to unknown location (Update 2)
Five migrant boats attempting to reach Cyprus from Lebanon were pushed back to unknown destinations, it emerged on Wednesday.
The pushbacks drew controversy, as the treatment of the migrants on ...
Cyprus ships patrolling off Lebanon to deter migrants
Two port police boats have been sent from Cyprus to patrol off the coast of Lebanon for migrant boats after the arrival of two boats a day ago.
The two ...
Clampdown on employing irregular Syrian migrants
Two other local actions are under discussion in tandem with the government’s decision to suspend processing of Syrian migrants’ automatic refugee status, it emerged on Tuesday.
These include stepped-up ...
Two remanded in custody over migrant arrivals (updated)
Two people were remanded in custody by the Larnaca district court on Tuesday for assisting illegal migration into the country.
The two concern a 16-year-old and a 44-year-old man, remanded ...
Parties divided over EU migration pact (Updated)
President Nikos Christodoulides on Thursday welcomed the new pact among EU states dealing with migrants and asylum seekers, calling it “a step in the right direction” as political parties here ...
EU migration revamp ‘a step in the right direction’
The redesign of the European Union’s migration system is a “step in the right direction”, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Thursday.
In a post on X, he said ...
Denmark agrees with Cyprus on Syria
Cyprus’ initiative to re-evaluate the status of specific areas in Syria was discussed at length on Wednesday during a meeting between Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou and his Danish counterpart Kaare ...
Lebanon offers assurances on smashing people smuggling rings
The state understands Lebanon’s position and will seek to further the issue of stemming migration flows with allies in the EU, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Tuesday.
Speaking ...
Cyprus ‘cannot manage new wave of migrants’ Demetriou tells Lebanon (Update 2)
Cyprus is looking for “immediate solutions” to deal with the migration crisis, House president Annita Demetriou said on Thursday, in a meeting with Lebanese ambassador Claude El Hajal.
The meeting ...
Another migrant boat spotted off Ayia Napa (Updated)
Authorities on Thursday were on alert after a boat with around 30 migrants was spotted close to Cape Greco.
Reports said the marine and port police were notified of the vessel ...
Remands for migrant arrivals (Updated)
A 23-year-old man was remanded for eight days on Thursday for driving a boat with 236 migrants from Lebanon.
The vessel had arrived on Tuesday night.
He is facing charges related ...
President asks EU to intervene, island faces migration crisis (Update 3)
Two more boats carrying 263 irregular migrants were spotted on Tuesday night by authorities who proceeded with a rescue operation bringing the passengers to the safety of the Larnaca port.
Another ...
Cyprus ‘at its limit’ on migration flows (updated)
Cyprus is at a “breaking point” with the influx of migrants, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Tuesday after a snap National Security Council meeting was convened to address the ...
‘High degree of preparation’ at rescue centre
Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou is set to visit other European countries to continue promoting Cyprus’ effort to reassess Syria’s status and get some areas of the country classified as ...