The Home Office welcomes yesterday's vote by the European Parliament of the Pact on Migration and Asylum of the European Union. The package of 10 pieces of legislation gives Member States the tools to implement more effective immigration management policies and, above all, is a practical application of solidarity, as a fundamental principle of the Union.
After long-term discussions, the final text of the Pact establishes a common legislative framework for the 27 member states, and establishes procedures for, among other things, the reception and resettlement of migrants, faster processing of asylum applications, stricter legal procedures and penalties about migrant smugglers, but also ways to manage crises.
The Cypriot Government, through its approach to immigration, has implemented a series of measures over the past year, which have resulted in a reduction in arrivals and an increase in migrant returns. In addition, with targeted moves made, the time for examining asylum applications has been reduced to a maximum of three months, while the effort is now focused on further shortening the time for issuing a decision within 30 days.
In conclusion, although for the Republic of Cyprus the option of voluntary relocations is not the most ideal decision, the Pact on Migration and Asylum is still an extremely important step, especially for the countries that are on the front line and are under disproportionate pressure .