Cyprus Advocates for Holistic Approach to Migration, Not Just Financial Aid – Reuters

NICOSIA (Reuters) – Cyprus emphasized on Monday that simply investing money into addressing irregular migration will not solve the problem. The country urged the EU to adopt a comprehensive strategy and reconsider its prohibition on deportations to Syria.

In recent years, Cyprus has experienced a notable increase in irregular migration, with arrivals occurring primarily by sea from neighboring Syria and Lebanon, or through a previously open gap along the ceasefire line that divided the island.

“If we genuinely want to tackle the migration issue, it cannot be through financial aid or short-term actions. We need to address the root causes and collaborate with migrants’ countries of origin,” stated Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.

Situated approximately 100 miles (185 km) west of Lebanon and Syria, Cyprus saw a more than fourfold rise in arrivals from these regions last year, raising concerns in Nicosia about a potential influx if tensions in the Middle East escalate further.

As an EU member since 2004 and the EU state closest to the Middle East, Nicosia is advocating for the bloc to consider designating certain areas of war-torn Syria as safe, thereby allowing repatriation of individuals who arrived from those locations.

“I am conscious of the sensitivities surrounding this issue,” Christodoulides acknowledged. “There are regions in Syria that we must evaluate for safety, and subsequently determine whether migrants from those specific areas can be returned.”

“I believe it is important for the EU to engage in this conversation,” he added.