Covid-era numbers at Hospitality Centers. Immigrant arrivals are at much lower levels, says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Revocation of supplementary protection status from 29 Syrians, decrease in arrivals
Immigrant arrivals are at much lower levelsaccording to the data of the Ministry of the Interior, while as stated to the Cyprus News Agency, the press representative of the Ministry, Margarita Kyriakou, recently the status of supplementary protection was revoked from 29 Syrians, the who, it was found, were traveling to their country through the occupied.
Questioned by the KYPE about the arrivals of Syrians, Ms. Kyriakou stated that, in May, from the 1st to the 21st-22nd of the month , the arrivals, by sea and land, of 202 people, 75 of whom were Syrians.
Ms. Kyriakou noted the low number of migrants in the reception centers, specifically mentioning that, in Pournara there are a total of 312 people, and that such numbers were last recorded in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, where movements were greatly restricted, and in 2018. There are about 250 people in the Limnes hospitality centerand at the Reception and Hosting Center for Applicants for International Protection Kofinou, 280, he noted.
He also mentioned that, since the measure of suspension of the supplementary protection request was applied, 170 Syrians were transferred to the Kofinou reception center where they were offered accommodation and food. He added that 129 of these people renounced hospitality and declared residence addresses in the Republic and left the center. He said that there are regular checks by the Police to verify that they really live at the addresses they declared and that they are not working, as they do not have the right to work, since, for the time being, applications for supplementary protection are not being considered.
According to Ms. Kyriakou, recently the supplementary protection status was revoked from 29 Syrians, who, it was found, were traveling to their country through the occupied. Asked by KYPE, she noted that these people can no longer work in Cyprus, and, if they wish, they can return to Syria, through the mechanism of voluntary returns.
She said further that returns continue, with around 4,500 people who were in the country illegally repatriated so far this year. In April, 1,014 returns were made, which is almost double the number compared to the same month last year when 595 returns were made, he noted.
It should be recalled that 10 Syrians have requested to leave Cyprus through the voluntary mechanism returns.
