Cyprus on Monday signed an agreement with the European Union (EU) on the reception and care of migrants arriving on the Mediterranean island, faced with a massive influx of asylum seekers.
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Cypriot Interior Minister Nicos Nouris and European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson signed -virtually- a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which will allow Cyprus to improve its reception capacities but also to deport more easily people whose asylum applications have been rejected.
"
Today marks a turning point for the Republic of Cyprus and the efforts of our government to deal with a problem that bedevils our country
", declared Nicos Nouris during the signing ceremony in Nicosia.
Ylva Johansson, for her part, claimed on Twitter that the agreement will help Cyprus to implement “
timely asylum procedures
” in order to reduce the
“Pragmatic European solidarity”
The agreement will also allow "
the effective integration (of migrants) and improve the efficiency of the return
" to the country of origin of the rejected people, she added.
Cyprus recorded 792 applications per 100,000 inhabitants in 2020 according to European Commission statistics, the highest rate in the EU.
Nicosia claims that 4.6% of its population is made up of asylum seekers or people who have obtained it.
"
We are turning the page together
", welcomed the Vice-President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas, visiting the island, referring to "
a problem which had become very heavy, creating a disproportionate burden in terms of management for Cyprus
".
In an interview with AFP in mid-February,
migration to Turkey.
"
The migration issue in Cyprus is a huge problem because it has been exploited by Turkey
," he said.
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"
The instrumentalization of immigration must once again stop being exercised at the expense of Cyprus
", he reaffirmed on Monday.
“
Cyprus needs pragmatic European solidarity.
According to Frontex, the European agency responsible for securing the EU's external borders, the number of migrants and asylum seekers arriving in Cyprus increased in January by 48% over one year.
Nationals come primarily from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria and Nigeria.