The thanks of Cyprus to Switzerland for the contribution of 10 million Swiss francs which will be utilized in the effort to effectively manage the increased of migratory flows, the Minister of the Interior Nikos Nouris expressed, noting that this financial support comes at a time when the total percentage of asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection in Cyprus has reached 6% of the total population.
Speaking at the Ministry of Justice and Police of the Swiss Confederation, Mr. Nouris said he was there together with Swiss Minister Karin Keller-Sutter to co-sign the agreement on the implementation of the Second Swiss Contribution between the Republic of Cyprus and the Swiss of the Federal Council, which includes significant financial support in various areas such as immigration and social cohesion, with particular reference to health programs for people with rare genetic disorders, programs to combat family violence and the particularly sensitive issue for Cyprus, the investigation into the fate of the missing persons as a result of the Turkish invasion of 1974.
Especially with regard to Switzerland's contribution in the field of immigration, the Minister expressed his sincere gratitude to the Swiss Government, for “this important an act of true solidarity towards the Republic of Cyprus and the contribution of 10 million thousands of Swiss francs, which will be used in our effort to effectively manage the increased migration flows that Cyprus is facing”.
He stated that this financial support comes at a time when the number of asylum seekers in Cyprus has exceeded 16.5 thousand for 2022 and the total percentage of asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection has reached 6% of the total population.< /p>
“Disproportionate migration flows have led to a situation of force majeure, pushing national asylum and reception systems to their limits,” he noted.
The Minister said that the gesture of the Swiss Government and the practical financial support to the Republic of Cyprus show the solidarity that is gradually being established in Europe for the management of the migration issue and especially towards the frontline member states that bear the greatest burden of the problem.
He said that the Swiss contribution will be used in two extremely important pillars that we have prioritized.
He explained that the first pillar is the implementation of efficient and quality asylum procedures, under which new infrastructures for asylum and immigration services will be created to improve existing facilities and therefore have greater capabilities in terms of case management asylum. The new infrastructure, he added, will allow the additional staff to be hired by the Agency to be properly accommodated in order to be able to operate more efficiently and manage the increased migration flows in a more efficient manner.
The second pillar, the Minister said, is the greater, decisive reinforcement of the returns of migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected, respecting the principle of voluntary, dignified and safe return of third-country nationals to their country of origin. Cyprus, he continued, has succeeded in increasing returns in recent years, while in 2022 we have succeeded in multiplying the number, surpassing 6,000 returns so far. A figure that places Cyprus, per capita, in first place among EU member states in terms of returns. “I am convinced that with this support we will achieve even more in this area,” he said.
The Minister of the Interior stated that “today solidarity goes beyond words and into action. Therefore, I feel the need and obligation to express our thanks and gratitude to Switzerland and especially to Minister Karin Keller — for her personal commitment and willingness to support the efforts of the Republic of Cyprus”.
Addressing the Minister, he told her that “your action, dear Karin, takes on even greater importance as it takes place at a time when Europe is plagued by crisis in Ukraine which has led, among other things, to serious economic shocks. I thank you sincerely and I am sure that this day will be the trigger for further strengthening of our bilateral relations”.
In her own statements, the Swiss Minister said that they signed a bilateral agreement on immigration and noted that Switzerland will contribute 10 million Swiss francs to support the asylum system in Cyprus until 2026.
The funding, he said, will be used for projects and programs in the areas of infrastructure, return and repatriation. He particularly focused on return policies, saying they are important for Switzerland, so that illegal immigrants who come to Cyprus can be returned directly to their country of origin.
This agreement, he said, is part of the second Swiss contribution in selected EU countries with which the country strengthens its cooperation with the EU states that face high levels of immigration pressure.
A similar agreement, he said, was recently signed with its Greek counterpart.
She said that the Cypriot Minister informed her about the difficult situation that prevails in Cyprus and said that secondary immigration is a problem of all the countries of the Schengen area as well as those that are not within the Schengen area.
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