(AP) Ethnically divided Cyprus ranks first among European Union member nations in the number of migrants it repatriates relative to its population of just over a million people, the country’s interior minister said Thursday.
Nearly 7,000 migrants were sent back to their home countries from Cyprus so far this year, accounting for 70% of the people who entered the country illegally, Interior Minister Nicos Nouris said. Last year, Cyprus repatriated 17% of the migrants who arrived without authorization, he said.
Applications for asylum in the Mediterranean island nation rose to 18,345 between January and October of this year, Nouris said, adding that the number of people with pending asylum claims or already granted a more limited protection status together is equal to more than 6% of Cyprus’ population.
