Cyprus will become the EU’s chief negotiator on the new deportation system

The Republic of Cyprus has been assigned the role of coordinator in pan-European negotiations on changing the rules for the return of illegal migrants. Nicosia will lead discussions between EU member states, the European Parliament, and the European Commission — the stage at which the final version of the new returns regulation is agreed.

Cyprus is promoting an approach based primarily on “voluntary return”: people are offered financial support, while administrative conditions are tightened in parallel. The authorities believe that such a scheme could work in other EU countries as well — if it is закреплена at the level of European legislation.

After the migration surge of 2022, this issue became one of the most sensitive in Cypriot politics. In 2024, the focus shifted to reducing the number of people staying illegally on the island — Nicosia claims that departures from Cyprus now significantly exceed new arrivals.

At the same time, the EU is preparing a broader package of reforms under the Migration and Asylum Pact, which is set to take effect from 2026. Among the measures under discussion are accelerating deportation procedures and the possibility of creating centers for case processing and returns outside the EU. In addition, the European Union has already agreed on a pressure mechanism against countries that refuse to take back their citizens: this involves reducing trade preferences.

At the same time, Cyprus’s policy is controversial. It is criticized by human rights advocates and lawyers, and there have also been complaints from the ECHR in individual cases involving migrants. Nevertheless, Nicosia is actively supporting the new European line toward tightening returns and expanding cooperation with neighboring countries in order to curb migration flows.