In a late-night plenary vote on 5 December, the Cypriot House of Representatives approved sweeping amendments to the Refugee Act that give the government explicit power to cancel refugee or subsidiary-protection status when a beneficiary is found to pose a security risk or has committed serious offences.
Under the new framework, the Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection or the head of the Asylum Service may issue a reasoned revocation decision after first serving the individual with a ten-day notice period to present evidence or arguments in their defence. Grounds for withdrawal range from terrorism, murder and rape to repeated theft or illegal employment, provided the offence is judged grave and deliberate. Revocation automatically removes the right to work, welfare benefits and freedom of movement inside the Republic, although deportation may only occur once any appeal is finally adjudicated by the courts.
![Cyprus tightens asylum regime – new law lets authorities revoke refugee status for serious crimes]()
Government officials say the reform aligns domestic law with EU Directive 2011/95/EU and plugs long-standing procedural gaps that Brussels had flagged during Schengen pre-assessment visits. They also argue it gives frontline agencies—police, immigration and border guards—a clearer, faster tool to deal with protection beneficiaries who reoffend.
Human-rights groups and opposition MPs AKEL and Greens voted against the bill, warning that administrative decisions by the executive—rather than courts—risk politicising asylum and could breach non-refoulement obligations if removals occur before due-process challenges are exhausted. Independent MP Alexandra Attalides argued that "no minister should decide people’s fate behind closed doors", calling for judicial oversight instead.
For multinational employers that post third-country nationals to Cyprus, the change means stricter background screening: staff who hold or are applying for protection status must maintain a clean record or risk losing the ability to remain and work. Corporate mobility teams should brief employees on the tougher stance and monitor any criminal proceedings that could jeopardise work authorisations.
Under the new framework, the Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection or the head of the Asylum Service may issue a reasoned revocation decision after first serving the individual with a ten-day notice period to present evidence or arguments in their defence. Grounds for withdrawal range from terrorism, murder and rape to repeated theft or illegal employment, provided the offence is judged grave and deliberate. Revocation automatically removes the right to work, welfare benefits and freedom of movement inside the Republic, although deportation may only occur once any appeal is finally adjudicated by the courts.
Government officials say the reform aligns domestic law with EU Directive 2011/95/EU and plugs long-standing procedural gaps that Brussels had flagged during Schengen pre-assessment visits. They also argue it gives frontline agencies—police, immigration and border guards—a clearer, faster tool to deal with protection beneficiaries who reoffend.
Human-rights groups and opposition MPs AKEL and Greens voted against the bill, warning that administrative decisions by the executive—rather than courts—risk politicising asylum and could breach non-refoulement obligations if removals occur before due-process challenges are exhausted. Independent MP Alexandra Attalides argued that "no minister should decide people’s fate behind closed doors", calling for judicial oversight instead.
For multinational employers that post third-country nationals to Cyprus, the change means stricter background screening: staff who hold or are applying for protection status must maintain a clean record or risk losing the ability to remain and work. Corporate mobility teams should brief employees on the tougher stance and monitor any criminal proceedings that could jeopardise work authorisations.
