???????Cyprus’ Deputy Minister for Migration and Asylum, Nicholas Ioannides, presented in Brussels the key priorities of the Cyprus EU Presidency, focusing on the implementation of the new Migration and Asylum Pact and on the overall architecture of the EU’s policy on migration, solidarity and returns. A central priority, is the implementation of the Migration and Asylum Pact according to the established timeline, Ioannides stressed.
With references to the procedures, political balances and challenges ahead, he outlined the framework within which the Cyprus EU Presidency aims to act as a catalyst for progress on the relevant legislation.
‘The main goal is to ensure that the Pact on Migration and Asylum enters into force on 12 June 2026, as planned. And I say ‘as planned’ because, as you know, there are some disagreements from member states, but we believe we can overcome any obstacles and succeed.’ The Deputy Minister underlined that the success of the Pact depends on a series of interlinked legislative files and that the Presidency will strive to move them forward as much as possible within its term.
An important pillar of this effort is advancing the regulation concerning the concepts of safe third country and safe country of origin. Ioannides noted that ‘we want to proceed with the amendment of the regulation on the concepts of safe third country and safe country of origin, which is already at an advanced stage. This is important for us because it will help us accelerate asylum procedures even further.’ As he explained, faster processing of applications is a crucial element of a fair and effective migration management system.
Regarding the Returns Regulation, and following the general approach reached in the Council, the Cyprus EU Presidency now assumes responsibility for the trilogues with the European Parliament. ‘On a thorny issue, a general approach was indeed reached the day before yesterday for the Returns Regulation, and we will now take on the trilogues’ Ioannides said. He added that ‘it is good for us to push this forward as much as possible.’ Asked about the difficulty of the process, he replied that the issue is sensitive for the European Parliament and that from Cyprus’ side, an effort will be made to complete the regulation during the Presidency, although this will depend heavily on the positions of the political groups.
The Deputy Minister provided detailed analysis on the solidarity mechanism, which he described as ‘a particularly sensitive issue for Cyprus.’ Referring to the negotiations that took place, he emphasised that ‘it is indeed very important that for the first time we have something like this. There were negotiations on the numbers. We and the MED5 in general wanted 30,000 relocations and pound 600 million in funding. An attempt was made to strike a balance; the numbers were initially reduced by half because the mechanism will begin in June, meaning only half a year. However, we managed to increase the figures in both areas.’
Despite the increased figures, what Cyprus seeks is the genuine, practical implementation of solidarity, he added. ‘However, what I said both publicly and in the Council is that we want to see this solidarity policy implemented in practice. In practice for us means relocations’ he further noted. He added that ‘a small island under occupation cannot withstand large numbers,’ stressing that Cyprus must manage both the significant number of people already on the island and the possibility of a future crisis.
The Deputy Minister also presented Cyprus’ national strategy, which focuses on strengthening borders, speeding up procedures and increasing returns. ‘Lastly, we must not view these measures in isolation. We must and we want to work on strengthening the external borders, which reduces flows. We have done this in Cyprus and have reduced flows by 86% since 2022.’ At the same time, Cyprus operates its own national returns system. ‘We have managed, within three years, to repatriate over 30,000 third-country nationals’ he said. On this basis, Nicosia calls for the full implementation of European solidarity, particularly through relocations.
Regarding the bilateral contacts already launched within the framework of the Presidency, Ioannides explained that the aim is to form a comprehensive picture of member states’ positions. ‘I have already held many bilateral meetings with other member states. We want to have a clear view of their concerns and positions, as honest brokers, which we must be in the next six months. I want us to understand what worries them and how we can work together to solve certain issues.’
Asked which countries do not support relocations, the Deputy Minister answered ‘most of them. It’s no secret.’ He was quick to clarify, however, that these member states are not against the Pact itself. ‘There are some disagreements concerning specific aspects. Essentially no one disagrees, but some member states simply do not want to accept relocations.’ When asked whether this stance aligns with the demand by Cyprus and Greece for meaningful solidarity, he responded positively, noting that there are member states willing to take relocations.
Ioannides also referred to the relationship with the European Parliament and the meetings he held with the political groups last October, stressing that besides those discussions with the political groups and the Chair of the LIBE Committee, the President of the European Parliament also visited Nicosia in recent days. ‘Overall there is a positive approach, but you understand that there are also other forces in the Parliament that are somewhat more hesitant.’ Concluding, he reiterated that ‘any solutions must be compatible with international and EU law. But at the same time, we must show results. Our citizens expect results in the area of migration.’