(AP) Cyprus is the first European Union member country to repatriate more migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected than have arrived in a single year, the east Mediterranean island nation’s interior minister said Thursday.
Constantinos Ioannou told the state broadcaster that over 11,000 migrants have been repatriated so far this year, more than double the number from 2022. That ranks Cyprus 4th in repatriations among all EU states in absolute numbers. About two-thirds of those repatriations were voluntary.
But Ioannou said a deal EU leaders reached on Wednesday on new rules to control migration falls short of Cyprus’ demand for compulsory relocation of migrants from front-line states under strain from increased arrivals, to other bloc members.
