Cyprus’s Deputy Minister for Migration and International Protection, Nicholas Ioannides, used the second day of the JHA Council in Brussels (9 December 2025) to preview the priorities of the upcoming Cypriot EU Presidency, which begins on 1 January 2026.
Addressing counterparts, Ioannides promised to keep “strong external borders and full, timely implementation of the Migration and Asylum Pact” at the top of the agenda. Cyprus will host an informal gathering of JHA ministers in Nicosia on 21-23 January to discuss practical roll-out of the new Eurodac biometric system and the Entry/Exit System (EES), both of which are due to become fully operational by mid-2026.
The Deputy Minister also mapped out a busy calendar of formal Councils (March and June in Brussels and Luxembourg) and confirmed that an EU-US ministerial on justice and home affairs will take place in Nicosia next June. For Belgium-based mobility managers, the roadmap provides forward visibility on when key delegated acts and implementation guidelines are likely to emerge, allowing compliance teams to plan for new carrier liability rules and streamlined Eurodac data-sharing.
![Cyprus outlines 2026 migration presidency agenda during Brussels JHA Council]()
In this rapidly evolving compliance environment, VisaHQ’s Brussels-based team (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) can support corporations and individual travellers as they adapt to Eurodac upgrades and the forthcoming EES. The service offers real-time visa requirement checks, document procurement, and alerts on carrier-liability changes—helping HR departments and frequent flyers stay ahead of the new rules set to roll out during the Cypriot Presidency.
Brussels diplomats noted Cyprus’s intention to press ahead with plans for offshore asylum-processing hubs—a concept supported by Belgium but opposed by several Mediterranean states. Whether consensus can be forged will shape how quickly the Pact’s solidarity mechanisms, including relocation quotas, become operational.
Corporate immigration advisers recommend monitoring the January informal in Nicosia, where draft guidance on carrier responsibilities under the EES is expected. Airlines serving Brussels have already begun software upgrades but say clarity on fines for data errors is still lacking.
Addressing counterparts, Ioannides promised to keep “strong external borders and full, timely implementation of the Migration and Asylum Pact” at the top of the agenda. Cyprus will host an informal gathering of JHA ministers in Nicosia on 21-23 January to discuss practical roll-out of the new Eurodac biometric system and the Entry/Exit System (EES), both of which are due to become fully operational by mid-2026.
The Deputy Minister also mapped out a busy calendar of formal Councils (March and June in Brussels and Luxembourg) and confirmed that an EU-US ministerial on justice and home affairs will take place in Nicosia next June. For Belgium-based mobility managers, the roadmap provides forward visibility on when key delegated acts and implementation guidelines are likely to emerge, allowing compliance teams to plan for new carrier liability rules and streamlined Eurodac data-sharing.
In this rapidly evolving compliance environment, VisaHQ’s Brussels-based team (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) can support corporations and individual travellers as they adapt to Eurodac upgrades and the forthcoming EES. The service offers real-time visa requirement checks, document procurement, and alerts on carrier-liability changes—helping HR departments and frequent flyers stay ahead of the new rules set to roll out during the Cypriot Presidency.
Brussels diplomats noted Cyprus’s intention to press ahead with plans for offshore asylum-processing hubs—a concept supported by Belgium but opposed by several Mediterranean states. Whether consensus can be forged will shape how quickly the Pact’s solidarity mechanisms, including relocation quotas, become operational.
Corporate immigration advisers recommend monitoring the January informal in Nicosia, where draft guidance on carrier responsibilities under the EES is expected. Airlines serving Brussels have already begun software upgrades but say clarity on fines for data errors is still lacking.
