While in the past year the EU saw a decrease in asylum applications by 54%, Cyprus recorded an increase by 43%, Minister of the Interior Constantinos Petrides has said, noting that this is a trend that causes concern and the Government will be monitoring the situation.
Addressing a seminar of the Monitoring Committee on Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, and on the Internal Security Fund, organized by the Structural Funds Unit of the Ministry of the Interior, the Minister said that Cyprus has granted protection status so far to about 7,500 people.
In addition, he said that 1,065 people were granted political refugee status, while more than 6,500 people were granted supplementary protection (in their overwhelming majority they come from Syria), while another 2,300 applications are pending before the Asylum Service.
Petrides pointed out that since September 2014 1.400 people reached Cyprus by sea, while of great concern is the fact that a significant number of asylum seekers come to the government controlled areas through the Turkish occupied areas.
The number of asylum applications in August 2017 was by 61% higher than last year, the Minister noted.
These numbers, he said, may sound small in comparison to other states, but one must bear in mind that Cyprus is a small island state.
He recalled recent Eurostat data, according to which Cyprus ranks fourth in political asylum applications in proportion to the population after Malta, Greece and Luxembourg.
The percentage of application approvals in Cyprus is 57%, significantly higher that the EU average which stands at 39%.
Noting that Cyprus with its limited funds has managed immigration flows in a humanitarian manner, he said that the situation is causing concern.
He underlined that the EU must proceed to a more comprehensive immigration policy that will take into consideration the demographic identity of the local population.
As regards European funds, he said that until 2015 Cyprus absorbed 65 million euro for the implementation of projects in the field of immigration, integration, asylum and management of the external borders of the Republic.
For 2014-2020, European funds for Cyprus are increased by 25%, and reach 82 million.
The event was addressed by Acting Head of the Unit for National Programms for the South and Eastern Europe of the DG for Immigration and Internal Affairs of the Commission, Patric Lefevre, who said that in many EU countries and the Commission itself there is the impression that Cyprus does not suffer from the immigration crisis, but noted that this is wrong and said that Cyprus, being an island – state, needs EU support.