Cyprus will have a Ministry of Migration

On February 29, the Parliament of the Republic of Cyprus approved a bill establishing a Ministry of Migration and Asylum. Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou called the decision an "important milestone" for the country.

The creation of the new ministry is seen as an important step given the rise in the number of refugees seeking asylum over the past few years.

It is expected that the new department will combine all issues related to migration and asylum, including the development of migration policy.

During the vote on the bill to create the ministry in the House of Representatives, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Konstantinos Ioannou, who is now in charge of the migration department and the refugee service, was present.

In a statement prepared later, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs welcomed the adoption of this bill.

- Today is a significant day for our country. The creation of the Ministry of Migration creates the basis for more effective management of the migration problem, the statement says.

The minister added that having all services work under one department would have “significant and practical” benefits.

Earlier in the day, the interior minister said there had been a 37 percent drop in migrant arrivals and a 50 percent drop in asylum applications over the past year.

At the moment, a significant part of the issues that will be transferred to the jurisdiction of the new ministry is dealt with by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. His area of responsibility will remain civil registration (issuing IDs and passports to citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, etc.) and a package of laws on marriage and civil unions.

The new department will oversee the migration policy of the Republic of Cyprus and issues of issuing residence permits to foreigners, granting citizenship by naturalization, political refugee status and humanitarian status.

It is expected that in the near future, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, will appoint a Minister of Migration, who will create the structure of the ministry and form a team.