On Thursday 12/10, the bill for the creation of a Deputy Ministry of Immigration, which is a pre-election commitment of Nikos Christodoulidis, will be before the Committee of the Interior for the first time with the aim of reducing immigration flows.
Purpose of the establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to bring under a single body the drawing up and implementation of an integrated strategy on migration and asylum in order to ensure more effective management of various parameters related to immigration and asylum and at the same time protection to the legal beneficiaries within the framework of the international and European obligations of the Republic with respect for human rights.
Among other things in the bill approved by the Cabinet on 15/6/2023 the drawing up and implementation of an integrated strategy for immigration and asylum is foreseen which includes, among other things, the issues of reception, hospitality but also the integration of persons into society and the return of illegal immigrants to their countries of origin.
At the same time, the operation and management of reception centers and hosts will be under the responsibility of the deputy ministryas well as the hospitality centers for minors and the vulnerable.
Specifically, as the Minister of the Interior stated during the approval of the deputy ministry by the Cabinet, its creation will contribute to the more efficient management of the various parameters, relating to immigration and asylum, based on the following priorities:
(a) preventing irregular flows and combating people-trafficking networks;
(b) speeding up the procedures regarding asylum applications, especially those that are manifestly unfounded,
(c) suppression of undeclared work, and
(d) improvement of conditions in reception and hospitality centers.
Other priorities of the aforementioned Deputy Ministry will concern:
(e) integration of legally resident third-country nationals through appropriate utilization of qualifications/skills, which are lacking in the Cypriot labor market,
(f) promotion of Unaccompanied Children policy, and
(g) implementation and implementation of effective return procedures for third-country nationals who do not retain the right to stay in the Republic.
It is noted that with the approval of the billit is intended to move services from the Ministry of the Interior to the Deputy Ministry of Immigration, namely the Asylum Service and the Immigration Service.
Parallel they will join the new deputy ministry and services from the Deputy Ministry of Welfare dealing with issues of vulnerable migrants, unaccompanied minors and benefits.
However, for the time being it remains unknown when the Parliament will finally vote on the establishment of the Deputy Ministry of Immigration as in our question to the President of the Committee of the Interior, Aristo Damianou if there are any indications when will it be voted on the answer was no.
It even seems that the committeeor she wants to first listen to the opinions of all those involved without excluding herself from making amendments to the legislation.
Stelios Stylianou / Offsitenews
