Cypriot authorities stepped-up interior enforcement on Thursday evening, arresting 19 third-country nationals who were living in the Republic without legal status. The coordinated operation spanned several neighbourhoods of Nicosia and was led by the Aliens & Immigration Service with support from the Green Line Surveillance Sub-Directorate. Officers simultaneously visited flats, worksites and public spaces identified through earlier intelligence gathering. Police said six of the detainees accepted assisted return and were placed on immediate flights to their home countries under the EU-funded Joint Reintegration Mechanism, while repatriation paperwork is being finalised for the remaining 13. The operation forms part of a broader campaign ordered by the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection to clear a backlog of more than 2 000 outstanding return decisions before the end of the summer tourist season. Immigration lawyers note that Cyprus has pivoted sharply toward returns since assuming the rotating Presidency of the EU Council in January. New fast-track procedures allow police to issue and execute a return order within 72 hours if an irregular migrant has no pending asylum claim. Critics, however, warn that detention capacity at Mennoyia pre-removal centre remains limited and that blanket sweeps risk discouraging victims of trafficking from approaching authorities. For employers, the message is clear: regularise or risk disruption. Companies found to be housing or employing the 19 detainees now face fines of up to €5 000 per worker and potential exclusion from government tenders. HR managers are therefore advised to run internal audits of residence and work permits, particularly for staff recruited through labour agencies. The stepped-up policing coincides with Cyprus’ push to join the Schengen Area in 2027. Brussels has repeatedly underlined that “credible returns” are a prerequisite for the island’s accession, making such operations politically as well as operationally significant.
Source: KNEWS – Kathimerini Cyprus
