Although the migration situation is stable or even improving slightly in the EU as a whole, it is becoming increasingly tense on the small island of Cyprus. Turkey has contributed to the situation, having become a new gateway for migrants and asylum seekers from Syria or from African countries such as Cameroon. This was the message delivered in Brussels on Thursday, 27 June by Constantinos Petrides, Cyprus’s Minister of the Interior, during meetings with Commission officials and European agencies.
Speaking to journalists, the Minister explained that the number of migrants arriving in Cyprus has increased steadily since 2016 in a country with a population of 850,000 people. The number of people applying for protection in 2017 went up by 50% compared to 2016 and, in 2018, the proportion went up by 69% in comparison with the previous year. The trend for 2019 indicates an even greater increase, with an average of 1000 applications per month during the first 3 months of the year. "And more than 3000 people arrived in May via the occupied territories" (the 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus', recognised by Turkey alone, while the international community denounces the Turkish occupation).
The minister emphasised that Turkey and Cyprus now constitute an interesting new migration route for smugglers, with migrants’ recent tendency to fly from Turkey to northern Cyprus a "new trend", said the minister. This particularly involves Syrians and Iranians, who have a visa-free arrangement with Turkey and so can move freely to northern Cyprus, the territory through which they then enter the southern part of the island. Between 2015 and 2018, people arriving via Turkey tended more often to come by boat.
Is Turkey fulfilling its commitments under the EU/Turkey Declaration of March 2016? It has received €4.5 billion to support asylum seekers and regulate the number of people arriving in the EU. In the Minister’s opinion, Turkey does not therefore seem to be fulfilling its commitments in full, although the EU/Turkey declaration has had “a very beneficial effect” and remains a necessary tool.
But if this is not a real border, we may have to find better ways of monitoring people entering via the green line and we may have to think about how we refuse people entry.
And is the EU fulfilling its solidarity commitments towards its members when work on the reform of the European asylum system is still pending and discussion focuses more on a temporary disembarkation mechanism for migrants? The Minister doubts that it is and expects stronger support. Cyprus is currently in contact with two or three Member States that are willing to relocate some of those who are eligible for protection or who already have protection, and hopes that the new system for the temporary disembarkation of migrants, which should be set up in the next few months, will pave the way to greater solidarity between Member States. Cyprus would really like to be able to count on a functioning European asylum system and, in that respect, "we missed a historic opportunity" when the work completed in June 2018 under the Bulgarian Presidency failed because of a lack of political will on the part of Member States. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)