A total of 42 individuals were arrested by the Police on Sunday, as part of an operation to locate third-country nationals residing illegally in Cyprus, while a total of 9,690 persons have been repatriated so far this year.
A Police press release said that the arrests were made during a coordinated nationwide operation on Sunday from 05.00 until midday. The individuals arrested are of various nationalities who, as it has been determined, are illegally residing in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.
The Police have already proceeded with the repatriation of nine out of the 42 individuals, with a flight from Larnaca airport to their countries of origin, while preparations are underway for the immediate repatriation of the remaining 33 individuals, always in cooperation with other competent Authorities. Along with the nine individuals, ten other individuals were also repatriated, for whom their return to their countries of origin had been scheduled for Sunday.
Since the beginning of the year, a total of 9,690 individuals who were residing illegally in Cyprus have been repatriated. During the same period last year, 9,375 individuals had been repatriated.
It is also noted that a reduction of approximately 45% has been achieved in the illegal arrivals of third-country nationals in Cyprus, as arrivals were limited to 6,057 this year, compared to 10,949 during the corresponding period in 2023.
The Police’s efforts to locate and repatriate individuals residing illegally in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus continue daily, the Police added.