Cyprus returns 60 immigrants to Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Cyprus’ Deputy Minister of Immigration, Nicholas Ioannides, announced on Monday that Syria has received 60 individuals who were intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Cyprus, in accordance with a bilateral agreement between the two governments.
Ioannides stated that two rubber boats carrying Syrian nationals were returned to Syria in recent days under a joint search and rescue agreement.
He noted a noticeable increase in the number of immigrant boats departing directly from Syria, compared to previous years when most crossings originated from Lebanon.
The minister emphasized that Cypriot authorities are working closely with their Syrian counterparts to combat human smuggling networks that facilitate illegal migration for labor purposes.
He also clarified that Cyprus will no longer automatically grant asylum to Syrian nationals. Instead, each application will be reviewed individually, in line with international and European standards.
According to Ioannides, of the 19,000 pending asylum applications in Cyprus, approximately 13,000 have been submitted by Syrian citizens.