Limassol, Cyprus. Police said 10 Syrian nationals arrested in connection with a mass brawl in Limassol last month have been deported to Syria. The deportees were among 12 people arrested over the incident.
Deportations following arrests
Police confirmed to the Cyprus Mail that the 10 Syrians have been returned to their country of origin.
Court rulings on expedited returns
The deportations come as Cyprus opens the way for Syrian nationals on the island to return home, after the international protection administrative court last week issued a series of rulings enabling expedited return if asylum claims are rejected.
Authority to deport after failed appeals
Under the rulings, the migration deputy ministry can directly deport Syrians staying on the island without residence documents if their appeal against a rejected asylum claim is also rejected.
Increase in voluntary returns
Cyprus has recorded a marked increase in voluntary returns of irregular migrants, with police announcing last month that 11,500 irregular migrants voluntarily left the island last year.
European Commission comments
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said Cyprus has “made good progress” on migrant returns during a visit to Paphos. Former European Commission vice president for promoting the European way of life Margaritis Schinas described Cyprus as an “emerging European champion of migrant returns”.
What impact do you think the court rulings will have on deportations and voluntary returns in Cyprus?
