Cyprus intensified its efforts to curb irregular migration on 21 December, when the Aliens and Immigration Service (AIS) led a large-scale dawn operation across all four southern districts. Police units fanned out simultaneously in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Famagusta, targeting addresses and worksites identified through previous intelligence as harbouring people without valid residence status.
By mid-morning the sweep had resulted in the arrest of 31 third-country nationals. Immigration officers told reporters that all detainees were transferred to pre-removal centres where they underwent identification, health screening and risk assessments before the launch of accelerated repatriation procedures. “Our goal is swift return in full compliance with EU return-directive safeguards,” an AIS spokesperson said, adding that legal aid and voluntary-return counselling were offered on site.
Sunday’s raid forms part of a wider policy shift unveiled last spring that places voluntary departures and forced removals at the centre of migration management. The numbers illustrate the scale of that pivot: the interior ministry says 11,500 people have been returned so far in 2025, already eclipsing the 10,092 removals logged in the whole of 2024. Over the same period, irregular sea and land arrivals have plummeted to 2,400 from 6,109 a year earlier, a drop authorities attribute to tighter patrols along the UN-monitored buffer zone and closer coordination with Lebanese and Syrian counterparts.
![Cyprus Police Arrest 31 Undocumented Migrants in Nationwide Sweep]()
Companies and individuals trying to stay ahead of these rapid changes can simplify their paperwork through VisaHQ, an online platform that streamlines Cyprus visa and permit applications. The service’s dedicated country page (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) consolidates the latest entry rules, document checklists and appointment booking tools—practical resources that help minimise compliance risks and avoid the kind of enforcement actions highlighted by Sunday’s sweep.
For businesses that hire foreign labour, the sweep is a reminder of Cyprus’s toughened sanctions regime. Under amendments to the Aliens and Immigration Law, employers now face criminal prosecution, fines of up to €20,000 per worker and administrative penalties that can include temporary closure of operations. Corporate mobility managers are therefore advised to audit work-permit rosters, ensure subcontractors are fully compliant, and prepare for unannounced site visits over the Christmas peak.
Human-rights NGOs have urged the government to match enforcement with faster asylum processing and robust integration pathways. The interior ministry counters that accelerated returns free up resources for legitimate refugees and the island’s forthcoming Schengen accession push. Either way, Sunday’s sweep signals that corporate relocation teams should expect heightened ID checks, especially in high-turnover sectors such as construction, hospitality and agriculture.
By mid-morning the sweep had resulted in the arrest of 31 third-country nationals. Immigration officers told reporters that all detainees were transferred to pre-removal centres where they underwent identification, health screening and risk assessments before the launch of accelerated repatriation procedures. “Our goal is swift return in full compliance with EU return-directive safeguards,” an AIS spokesperson said, adding that legal aid and voluntary-return counselling were offered on site.
Sunday’s raid forms part of a wider policy shift unveiled last spring that places voluntary departures and forced removals at the centre of migration management. The numbers illustrate the scale of that pivot: the interior ministry says 11,500 people have been returned so far in 2025, already eclipsing the 10,092 removals logged in the whole of 2024. Over the same period, irregular sea and land arrivals have plummeted to 2,400 from 6,109 a year earlier, a drop authorities attribute to tighter patrols along the UN-monitored buffer zone and closer coordination with Lebanese and Syrian counterparts.
Companies and individuals trying to stay ahead of these rapid changes can simplify their paperwork through VisaHQ, an online platform that streamlines Cyprus visa and permit applications. The service’s dedicated country page (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) consolidates the latest entry rules, document checklists and appointment booking tools—practical resources that help minimise compliance risks and avoid the kind of enforcement actions highlighted by Sunday’s sweep.
For businesses that hire foreign labour, the sweep is a reminder of Cyprus’s toughened sanctions regime. Under amendments to the Aliens and Immigration Law, employers now face criminal prosecution, fines of up to €20,000 per worker and administrative penalties that can include temporary closure of operations. Corporate mobility managers are therefore advised to audit work-permit rosters, ensure subcontractors are fully compliant, and prepare for unannounced site visits over the Christmas peak.
Human-rights NGOs have urged the government to match enforcement with faster asylum processing and robust integration pathways. The interior ministry counters that accelerated returns free up resources for legitimate refugees and the island’s forthcoming Schengen accession push. Either way, Sunday’s sweep signals that corporate relocation teams should expect heightened ID checks, especially in high-turnover sectors such as construction, hospitality and agriculture.
