Cypriot police carried out a targeted immigration operation in the Paphos district on the night of 18 February, detaining 19 people found to be living in the Republic without valid status. Twelve were placed on an early-morning charter flight and removed from the country within hours; deportation paperwork is under way for the remaining seven. The raid forms part of a wider campaign ordered by the Ministry of the Interior to step up returns of undocumented migrants before the busy spring-tourism period.
Law-enforcement sources told Cyprus Mail that officers relied on intelligence from recent employer-compliance inspections and hotel guest-lists to identify addresses. The operation involved the Aliens & Immigration Unit, rapid-response teams and Frontex-trained escort officers, underscoring close cooperation with EU agencies. Over the last six weeks, Cyprus has averaged more than 200 forced or assisted returns per week—figures the government cites when lobbying Brussels for additional border-management funds.
![Twelve Irregular Migrants Deported After Paphos District Sweep]()
For companies hiring third-country nationals, the crackdown is a reminder that on-site immigration audits remain active. Fines for employing or housing migrants without valid papers range from €2,500 per worker to criminal prosecution in repeat cases. Mobility managers are advised to double-check that all residence and work permits are not only issued but also properly renewed in the Aliens Registry; electronic verification will be possible once the new digital-permit platform goes live later this year.
From a humanitarian angle, NGOs criticised same-day deportations as leaving little time to assess asylum claims. The Interior Ministry counters that the individuals had exhausted all legal remedies and that returns were carried out under EU Return Directive safeguards. Regardless, the operation signals continued political pressure to demonstrate control over migration flows ahead of the summer election season.
Business-travel risk advisers note that random document checks have increased across hotel zones in Paphos and Ayia Napa. Employers should instruct short-term assignees and contractors to carry passport ID and digital copies of resident permits at all times and to factor potential stop-checks into ground-transport schedules.
Law-enforcement sources told Cyprus Mail that officers relied on intelligence from recent employer-compliance inspections and hotel guest-lists to identify addresses. The operation involved the Aliens & Immigration Unit, rapid-response teams and Frontex-trained escort officers, underscoring close cooperation with EU agencies. Over the last six weeks, Cyprus has averaged more than 200 forced or assisted returns per week—figures the government cites when lobbying Brussels for additional border-management funds.
For companies hiring third-country nationals, the crackdown is a reminder that on-site immigration audits remain active. Fines for employing or housing migrants without valid papers range from €2,500 per worker to criminal prosecution in repeat cases. Mobility managers are advised to double-check that all residence and work permits are not only issued but also properly renewed in the Aliens Registry; electronic verification will be possible once the new digital-permit platform goes live later this year.
From a humanitarian angle, NGOs criticised same-day deportations as leaving little time to assess asylum claims. The Interior Ministry counters that the individuals had exhausted all legal remedies and that returns were carried out under EU Return Directive safeguards. Regardless, the operation signals continued political pressure to demonstrate control over migration flows ahead of the summer election season.
Business-travel risk advisers note that random document checks have increased across hotel zones in Paphos and Ayia Napa. Employers should instruct short-term assignees and contractors to carry passport ID and digital copies of resident permits at all times and to factor potential stop-checks into ground-transport schedules.
Source: Cyprus Mail
