The Publications Office of the European Union has published an award notice confirming that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will implement the relocation of 1,283 asylum applicants from the Republic of Cyprus to other EU member states. The €1.48 million service contract—tender reference MD/12/2026—was officially signed on 15 September under the bloc’s new mandatory solidarity mechanism. Cyprus has the highest per-capita asylum-application rate in the European Union, with more than 17,000 pending cases at the end of 2025 despite recent declines in irregular crossings across the Green Line. Under the mechanism, member states that choose not to accept relocations must instead make a financial contribution of €20,000 per unaccompanied minor or vulnerable applicant. At least eight countries, including Germany and France, have signalled willingness to accept transferees from Cyprus to ease pressure on reception centres near Paphos and Nicosia. IOM will organise medical screenings, pre-departure orientation and charter flights, while the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) will coordinate reception arrangements in destination states. The first transfer is expected in November 2026, starting with 150 Syrians and Congolese currently residing at the Kofinou facility. For mobility-programme owners, the relocations matter because they free up capacity in Cyprus’ overstretched asylum system, allowing the Migration Department to reassign staff to residence-permit processing. Employers have complained of six-month delays for Digital Nomad and Highly-Skilled Work permits; officials now say average processing time could fall below 60 days by Q2 2027 once IOM flights get underway. Companies should still plan for interim delays and consider premium-processing lawyers for time-sensitive transfers.
Source: Publications Office of the EU
