The Cyprus Parliament has approved a law accelerating the deportation of migrants who have committed serious crimes

The Cyprus Parliament voted in favor of a government bill that allows faster revocation of international or subsidiary protection status for third-country nationals if their asylum applications have been rejected or if, after receiving protection, they have committed serious crimes.

The law was adopted with 27 votes in favor and 15 against.

What the new law provides:

• grants additional powers in the field of asylum to the Council of Ministers, the Deputy Minister for Migration, and the Head of the Asylum Service;
• introduces a procedure for revoking status for persons who fall under exclusion grounds;
• sets a 10-day period for submitting objections before the final decision.

The Deputy Ministry for Migration welcomed the adoption of the law, stating that it:

• strengthens the asylum case management system;
• harmonizes legislation with EU standards;
• allows revocation of subsidiary protection status if a person poses a threat to public security.

The agency also reported that it will soon submit additional bills to Parliament to adapt to the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which will enter into force in 2026.