Cyprus reports significant drop in asylum applications and rise in rejections

On July 31, 2026, Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection Nicholas Ioannides presented a report on the first half of 2026, highlighting a 96.8% decrease in new asylum applications from Syrian nationals compared to the same period in 2024. Over the last five years, illegal arrivals have dropped by 92% and total asylum applications by 93%. Ioannides attributed these results to enhanced border surveillance, cooperation with transit countries, and efforts to combat human trafficking networks.

Between early 2025 and June 2026, nearly 2,000 asylum applications from Syrian nationals were rejected, with the number of rejections in the first half of 2026 alone nearly doubling compared to all of 2025. The Administrative Court of International Protection has already begun upholding these rejections, confirming the state's stance against the misuse of the asylum system.

Minister Ioannides urged Syrians who do not qualify for international protection to utilize the voluntary return program before its expiration on October 30, 2026. The government maintains that the current policy aims to ensure resources remain focused on individuals truly in need of protection, while preventing the asylum system from being used as a secondary migration route.