The Head of Frontex in Cyprus and Greece, Mr. Grigoris Apostolou, gave credit to the Minister of the Interior and the Republic of Cyprus, for the successful strategy being followed for the management of immigration. In their meeting today, the Minister of the Interior, Mr. Konstantinos Ioannou, informed Mr. Apostolou in detail about the policy implemented by the Cypriot Government in immigration, which focuses, among other things, on reducing arrivals and increasing returns.
Mr. Ioannou praised the role and importance of Frontex in the region and especially its presence in Cyprus. According to the Interior Minister, the tightening of EU border controls by Frontex will contribute to better border surveillance along the Eastern Mediterranean route and prevent irregular arrivals. It is also recalled that the strengthening of cooperation between Europol, Frontex and Eurojust is included in the provisions of the Action Plan for the Eastern Mediterranean and aims, among other things, to combat migrant trafficking rings.
Messrs. Ioannou and Apostolou had the opportunity to exchange views on further strengthening the cooperation of the Republic of Cyprus with Frontex in the field of returns. As the Minister of the Interior mentioned, through a series of measures implemented by Cyprus, it was possible to increase the total number of departures by 66% compared to last year.
For his part, Mr. Apostolou congratulated Mr. Ioannou for the commitment and efficiency of the Republic in relation to the management of immigration. He also conveyed the readiness of Frontex to continue its support to Cyprus and strengthen cooperation for even better results, for the benefit of the Republic of Cyprus and the European Union more broadly.