FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE — More than 100 asylum applications submitted by Syrian nationals have been rejected on the grounds that they failed to meet international and European legal criteria, according to officials from the country’s Deputy Ministry of Migration.
Authorities say departures of Syrian migrants are continuing steadily, with many voluntarily returning to their homeland in coordination with the Ministry of Justice and the national police force.
Cyprus was the first European Union member state to suspend processing of Syrian asylum claims, halting reviews in April 2024 and beginning rejections the following month.
The rejections come amid broader strain on the island nation’s migration system. Cyprus has seen a sharp rise in arrivals over the past few years, with officials citing geographic proximity to conflict zones and exploitation of its status as the EU’s easternmost border. The government has repeatedly called on Brussels to provide additional support and reform the bloc’s asylum-sharing mechanisms.