The start of the European Union’s Pact on Migration and Asylum on 12 June 2026 and the European Parliament’s approval of the new Returns Regulation on 17 June are “significant developments” for the EU and for Cyprus, Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection, Nicholas Ioannides, said in a written statement on Monday.
According to the statement, the Pact introduces clear rules, faster procedures, stricter controls at external borders and solidarity mechanisms among member states – elements critical for frontline countries like Cyprus.
The Deputy Minister said that since taking office the government has taken measures that have reduced irregular flows by about 90% compared with 2022 and have resulted in the departure of roughly 35,000 third-country nationals. Legislation has also been strengthened to address criminality by foreign nationals.
Regarding the Returns Regulation, Ioannides recalled that the political agreement was reached on 1 June 2026 after intensive negotiations and that, as the representative of the Cyprus Presidency, he took an active part in the talks. Its approval by the European Parliament on 17 June, he said, reinforces the European approach to returns.
The Deputy Minister thanked the staff of his office and the Permanent Representation for their technical and negotiating contribution, as well as the Cypriot MEPs who voted in favour of the Regulation.
He said these developments do not conclude the effort. “On the contrary, they open a new and demanding phase of implementation. The success of the new European framework will be judged in practice,” he noted.
He added that Cyprus will continue to participate actively and responsibly in this common European endeavour, while the government “will continue to implement a strict but fair migration policy, aimed at both fulfilling our international obligations and protecting the interests of the Republic of Cyprus.”
Concluding, he reiterated that the decisions open “a new and demanding phase of implementation” and made clear that Cyprus will continue to apply a “strict but fair” migration policy, while actively engaging in European cooperation.