Irregular Arrivals to Cyprus Down 92% Since 2022, Government Says

Sharp Drop in Arrivals and Asylum Claims

Irregular arrivals to Cyprus have fallen by 92 per cent and fresh asylum applications are down 93 per cent when comparing the first half of 2026 with the same period in 2022, Deputy Migration Minister Nicholas Ioannides has said.

Backlog of Pending Cases Shrinking

The number of asylum applications still awaiting a decision has dropped from around 24,000 in June 2024 to roughly 13,500 by the end of July 2026, having stood at 14,000 as recently as the end of June. Among Syrian nationals specifically, new claims in the first half of 2026 were down 96.8 per cent compared with the same period of 2024; almost 2,000 Syrian applications have been rejected since the start of 2025, while around 5,200 Syrians have withdrawn their claims or returned voluntarily since the change of regime in their home country.

Returns and Enforcement Measures

Authorities recorded more than 4,145 returns of third-country nationals in the first half of 2026, with the total surpassing 5,000 by 30 July. An assisted voluntary return scheme remains available to those without a legal basis to stay, running until 30 October, alongside forced return procedures for people found not to have residence rights.

Government Frames Shift as Deliberate Policy Choice

Ioannides said the government's approach had moved Cyprus "from passive management of arrivals to a decisive and strict treatment of flows," attributing the decline to intensified patrols along the Green Line and at sea, together with operations targeting migrant smuggling networks. He said the strategy rests on three pillars: granting protection to those legally entitled to it, returning people with no right to remain, and building regulated pathways for legal migration.