The Aliens & Immigration Unit, working with Frontex and the Deputy Ministry of Migration, facilitated the departure of 208 individuals who were residing illegally in Cyprus between 18 and 24 September, bringing the year-to-date total of returns to 7,014. Authorities used a mix of voluntary return programmes and forced-removal flights to destinations in South Asia, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. Interior officials attribute the acceleration of returns to streamlined biometric identity verification and the expansion of the EU’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) scheme, which offers up to €1,000 and pre-departure counselling to eligible migrants. The average processing time for a voluntary return case has fallen from 90 to 45 days since January. The weekly figure is significant for a small member state that continues to record the EU’s highest per-capita asylum applications. By reducing the backlog, the government believes it can free up capacity at the Pournara reception centre—currently operating at 35 % of its 1,000-person capacity—and reallocate funds from welfare to integration programmes for recognised refugees. For employers, the stepped-up enforcement serves as a reminder to audit work-permit compliance, particularly in construction and hospitality, where undocumented labour remains prevalent. Mobility managers should also note that overstaying employees may face expedited removal with limited notice under the new fast-track regime.
Source: Cyprus News Agency (CNA)
