Asylum applications in Cyprus have fallen sharply in recent years, particularly following political changes in Syria, Fileleftheros reported.
According to the newspaper, applications dropped from 17,434 in 2022 to 2,437 in 2025. It said that in 2022, an estimated 16,627 of those who sought asylum had entered through the north.
The report added that the trend began to shift after 2023, following measures introduced by President Nikos Christodoulides aimed at curbing irregular arrivals.
In 2025, Fileleftheros said 152 asylum seekers reached Cyprus by sea on eight boats, while another 2,285 arrived through the north.