In Cyprus, the flow of illegal migrants has decreased

The flow of illegal migrants to Cyprus has decreased in the last eight months due to measures taken by the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs. The number of illegal migrants returning to their home countries, on the contrary, has sharply increased.

As reported by the Director of the Minister of Internal Affairs' Office on the "Alpha Good Morning" program, the number of asylum applications in the country has decreased by 50%, while the number of migrants returning to their home countries has increased by 60%.

It is noted that the hiring of additional staff to process asylum applications has been a determining factor, leading to a reduction in the time spent on this process.

Due to the additional personnel, immigration services are addressing a significant portion of previously pending applications. Approximately 26,000 cases were awaiting review for a long time. Now, the number of old applications is decreasing, acting as a deterrent for those planning to come to Cyprus illegally, as there are fewer opportunities to extend their stay through various unlawful means.

• Thanks to this acceleration and the reduction of employment opportunities to 9 months, as well as the control exercised by the Ministry of Labor to combat illegal employment, we believe that the goal of making Cyprus less attractive for illegal migrants is being achieved, - explained the official.