At much lower levels are the arrivals of immigrants according to the data of the Ministry of the Interior, while as stated in the KYPE, the press representative of the Ministry, Margarita Kyriakou, the supplementary protection status was recently revoked from 29 Syrians, who, it was found, were traveling to their country through the possessed.
Asked by the KYPE about Syrian arrivals, Ms. Kyriakou stated that, in May, from the 1st to the 21st-22nd of the month, 202 people arrived by sea and by land, 75 of whom were Syrians. .
Ms. Kyriakou noted the low number of migrants in the reception centers, specifically stating that there are a total of 312 people in Pournara, and that such numbers were last recorded in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, when travel was greatly restricted, and in 2018 There are approximately 250 people in the Limnes reception center and 280 in the Reception and Hospitality Center for International Protection Applicants, he noted.
He also mentioned that, since the measure of suspension of the supplementary protection request was applied, 170 Syrians were transferred to the Kofinou reception center where they were offered accommodation and food. He added that 129 of these people renounced hospitality and declared residence addresses in the Republic and left the center. He said that there are regular checks by the Police to verify that they really live at the addresses they have declared and that they are not working, as they do not have the right to work, since, for the time being, applications for supplementary protection are not being considered.
According to Ms. Kyriakou, the supplementary protection status was recently revoked from 29 Syrians, who, it was found, were traveling to their country through the occupied countries. Asked by KYPE, she noted that these people can no longer work in Cyprus, and, if they wish, they can return to Syria, through the mechanism of voluntary returns.
He also said returns were continuing, with around 4.500 people who were in the country illegally repatriated so far this year. In April, there were 1.014 returns, which is almost double the number compared to the same month last year when there were 595 returns, he noted.
It is recalled that 10 Syrians have requested to leave Cyprus through the mechanism of voluntary returns.
