(Philenews) Cyprus has achieved the European Union’s highest return-to-arrival ratio at 179% whilst recording a 69% drop in asylum applications between 2022 and 2024, government officials announced on Wednesday.
Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou and Deputy Minister for Migration Nicholas A. Ioannides presented the results of the government’s migration strategy at a joint press conference, noting the reduction of migrant arrivals.
The number of asylum applications fell from a record 21,565 in 2022, with African applicants decreasing by more than 85%. Officials reported that 18,055 third-country nationals have departed Cyprus since the current administration took office.
“For the first time in Cyprus’s migration history, more people are leaving than arriving,” Ioannou said, noting that EU Commissioner Johansson has cited Cyprus as a model for other member states.
