Press Releases

I would like to welcome the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ms Ylva Johansson,

The Commissioner had the opportunity to take a tour and visit the First Reception Center Pournara and of course to get a first-hand impression of the problems Cyprus faces, as a result of the need to manage proportionally the largest number of migratory flows amongst all EU member states.

I would like to thank very much the Commissioner and her colleagues for all the help they have provided to us so far; financial and also supportive. I have pointed out, however, that the particularities Cyprus faces require additional support and assistance from the European Commission.

The existence of the green line which is not our natural border but the ceasefire line, the exploitation by Turkey of our inability to exercise effective control due to the length of the dividing line, is the most serious problem we have to deal with. Turkey systematically and on a daily basis promotes, through the occupied area, illegal immigrants coming from its southern coast. The lack of cooperation on behalf of the Turkish occupying authorities, which not only do not prevent illegal immigration in our country but instead encourage it, is another serious problem that we are trying to deal with.

I am pleased to say that the Commissioner will have the opportunity in two weeks to discuss the issues, during her official visit with the Turkish Government in Ankara, assuring that she will also raise the Cyprus issue.

The recent incident involving the Turkish navy, which used armed force against a small boat of our Port Police in the area of Tillyria when the boat tried to prevent illegal immigrants coming from Turkey, from entering the areas controlled by the Republic, demonstrates the provocativeness and the scale of the problem we have to deal with as a country.

The Republic of Cyprus is not indifferent and does not accept the Turkish provocativeness in a defeatist manner. We are reinforcing our Port Police in order to limit sea arrivals, we are strengthening deterrence measures on the green line by placing fences and by patrol surveillance, while also applying technological means of surveillance to prevent illegal crossings from any point on the green line, thereby respecting our obligation to the EU itself.

I have, however, had the opportunity to explain to the Commissioner the huge progress that has been made in asylum procedures lately, both at the legislative level and on infrastructure issues as well.

The fact that since 1 January, when the new asylum policy has been in place, we have succeeded in examining more than 8500 applications and serving more than 7000 rejection applications, demonstrates the huge progress made.

At the same time, nevertheless, the fact that out of 7000 rejected applications we were able to return less than 300 people to their countries of origin shows the weakness in return issues. A weakness that is not a phenomenon in Cyprus but a phenomenon in Europe.

It is precisely for this reason that, together with my colleagues from the four other frontline countries namely Greece, Italy, Spain and Malta, we discussed this problem at the last MED 5 meeting, the day before yesterday in Spain, and we have reached specific decisions about which I informed the Commissioner, that will be formally brought before the forthcoming Council of Internal Affairs in Luxembourg, next week.

I am pleased that my counterparts from the other four frontline countries have adopted all the proposals I have tabled with which we ask, along with the continuation of the dialogue on the new migration and asylum policy, the adoption of 3 concrete measures to be adopted in order to reduce the problem of influxes which have reached alarming proportions and pose serious risks to our countries.

The five of us have decided and we are asking the Commission to implement specific measures to protect the European borders, as well as the Green Line- is something that is included in the ministerial statement for the first time- which is not and does not constitute a border. However, it is the area from which a dangerous illegality takes place and the government of the Republic of Cyprus will not allow this phenomenon to continue, regardless of the methodology chosen by certain parties.

The MED5 meeting also decided to urgently call for agreements to promote returns to all third countries considered safe, centrally by the EU itself, in order to effectively promote the return of all those whose applications are manifestly unfounded.

Madam Commissioner, we welcome the Commission’s immediate reaction to the problem that Lithuania is facing. We are certain that the support for Cyprus will be similar, as we have been experiencing this phenomenon not in the last 4 months but in the last 4 years.

I have also explained to the Commissioner that Cyprus supports every measure that is in the direction of reducing Afghan migration flows to Europe, as, if such a phenomenon is allowed to develop, Europe, but especially our country, will be faced with a huge crisis, bearing in mind Turkey’s behaviour to date, which not only does not comply with its contractual obligations to the European Union, but on the contrary, promotes migratory flows such those from Syria towards Cyprus, with the expectation of causing destabilization.

Finally, I would like to thank Ylva and her delegation, for their visit, but also for the help they offer us.

I am certain that what they have not had a chance to see today, they will see on a subsequent visit, which I hope will be in the near future.

As Minister of a frontline Member State, I would like to state quite clearly that, despite the difficulty that occurs in the discussions in reaching an agreement on a single European migration and asylum policy, no European state can manage or even bear the burden of migration on its own.

It is for this reason that Cyprus is in favour of continuing the dialogue in order to reach an overall conclusion on the Pact and not on individual issues.

But at the same time and in parallel with the discussions on the Pact, steps must be taken to address the current crisis and the excessive burden that frontline states in particular are facing.

Dear Ylva, welcome to Cyprus.

(EΦυς)