Immigration measures ‘have brought positive results’

The state’s immigration measures have brought positive results, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou, said on Monday, however “external factors” remain the sticking point.

Speaking before a meeting with Paphos community council leaders in Mesogi, Ioannou addressed the issue of migration, stating that the situation is volatile.

“With immigration everything can change from one day to the next. So far it seems that the measures are having results but since we also depend on external factors, we expect in the next days or weeks to see what will happen,” the minister said.

There is a significant reduction in arrivals at present and return rates in April continued as before, he noted.

“As far as returns are concerned, we are continuing at the same pace [with] in the last month more than 1,000 people were returned to their countries. We constantly evaluate the measures,” the minister said.

Regarding efforts to beef up Lebanon’s capacity to control its coasts and borders and dismantle people smuggling rings, the minister noted that information was awaited.

Last month, Ioannou warned that the situation could spiral out of control if the Lebanese state collapsed.

Earlier in May, Cyprus hailed the EU’s decision to offer Lebanon a financial package of €1 billion, announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a joint news conference with Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati and President Nikos Christodoulides who visited Beirut with Ioannou on May 2. The funds are to be available from this year until 2027.

Von den Leyen also stated that the EU would support Lebanon’s armed forces with equipment and training for border management.

Support for Lebanon and effecting the redesignation of parts of Syria as safe, are the two main policy thrusts for Cyprus in coping with the ongoing migration issue.