European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and heads of the assembly’s political groups concluded a two-day visit to Nicosia on 2 December, laying the groundwork for Cyprus’ six-month EU Council presidency that begins on 1 January 2026. Talks with President Nikos Christodoulides and cabinet ministers focused on finalising the Pact on Migration and Asylum, accelerating Schengen reforms and easing work-visa pathways for critical-skills shortages.
Cyprus—still outside the passport-free zone—wants to use its presidency to secure a clear roadmap for its own Schengen accession while shepherding the bloc’s delayed Entry/Exit System (EES) roll-out. Officials also signalled plans to host informal justice-and-home-affairs meetings in Limassol in March 2026, offering mobility stakeholders a chance to influence legislative drafts on intra-company transfers and Blue-Card upgrades.
![EU Parliament leaders in Nicosia put migration and Schengen at centre of Cyprus’ 2026 Council presidency]()
Parliamentarians toured reception facilities along the UN-patrolled Green Line and pledged additional EU funding for faster asylum adjudication and voluntary returns. The delegation’s presence was widely interpreted as a show of solidarity with Cyprus, which receives the EU’s highest per-capita asylum applications.
For corporate relocation managers, the presidency is likely to shape EU mobility rules for years. Companies with operations in Cyprus or across the bloc should track the presidency calendar, leverage public consultations and prepare for potential changes in digital border procedures and talent-attraction schemes.
Cyprus—still outside the passport-free zone—wants to use its presidency to secure a clear roadmap for its own Schengen accession while shepherding the bloc’s delayed Entry/Exit System (EES) roll-out. Officials also signalled plans to host informal justice-and-home-affairs meetings in Limassol in March 2026, offering mobility stakeholders a chance to influence legislative drafts on intra-company transfers and Blue-Card upgrades.
Parliamentarians toured reception facilities along the UN-patrolled Green Line and pledged additional EU funding for faster asylum adjudication and voluntary returns. The delegation’s presence was widely interpreted as a show of solidarity with Cyprus, which receives the EU’s highest per-capita asylum applications.
For corporate relocation managers, the presidency is likely to shape EU mobility rules for years. Companies with operations in Cyprus or across the bloc should track the presidency calendar, leverage public consultations and prepare for potential changes in digital border procedures and talent-attraction schemes.
