Cyprus’ Aliens & Immigration Service (AIS) launched one of its largest year-end enforcement drives in the early hours of 21 December, sending mixed teams of immigration officers and regular police to more than 20 addresses in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Famagusta. Apartments, construction sites and agricultural holdings identified through weeks of surveillance as harbouring people without valid residence status were simultaneously searched. Thirty-one third-country nationals were arrested and transferred to the island’s two pre-removal centres, where they underwent biometric verification, medical screening and counselling on their legal options.
AIS officials told reporters that the operation is part of a broader push to step up returns before Cyprus assumes the rotating EU Council presidency on 1 January 2026. According to the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection, 11,500 irregular migrants have already been sent home in 2025—surpassing the 10,092 removals recorded in all of 2024. The ministry credits faster asylum adjudication, charter repatriation flights funded by Frontex and closer cooperation with origin countries for the uptick.
For travellers, assignees and employers seeking to navigate Cyprus’s fast-evolving immigration rules, VisaHQ offers an efficient one-stop solution. Through its dedicated Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/), the platform provides up-to-date visa information, online application processing and document legalisation services, ensuring clients remain compliant and well prepared ahead of any AIS inspection.
![Cyprus police detain 31 undocumented migrants in coordinated dawn raids]()
While human-rights groups welcomed the offer of legal aid and the stated preference for voluntary departure, they cautioned that accelerated procedures require rigorous safeguards. AIS insists that every detainee has access to interpreters, lawyers and medical staff and that vulnerable persons will not be removed until individual risk assessments have been completed.
For employers, the sweep is a reminder of the government’s zero-tolerance stance on illegal labour. Companies found to have knowingly employed or housed undocumented workers face fines of up to €10,000 per person and possible suspension of business licences. Multinationals with construction projects or seasonal operations in Cyprus are advised to audit subcontractors’ compliance and tighten document-verification protocols.
With irregular arrivals on the Green Line showing no signs of easing, observers expect enforcement actions to remain frequent in the first half of 2026. Global mobility managers should therefore review contingency plans for assignees whose residence status might be affected by stepped-up inspections.
AIS officials told reporters that the operation is part of a broader push to step up returns before Cyprus assumes the rotating EU Council presidency on 1 January 2026. According to the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection, 11,500 irregular migrants have already been sent home in 2025—surpassing the 10,092 removals recorded in all of 2024. The ministry credits faster asylum adjudication, charter repatriation flights funded by Frontex and closer cooperation with origin countries for the uptick.
For travellers, assignees and employers seeking to navigate Cyprus’s fast-evolving immigration rules, VisaHQ offers an efficient one-stop solution. Through its dedicated Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/), the platform provides up-to-date visa information, online application processing and document legalisation services, ensuring clients remain compliant and well prepared ahead of any AIS inspection.
While human-rights groups welcomed the offer of legal aid and the stated preference for voluntary departure, they cautioned that accelerated procedures require rigorous safeguards. AIS insists that every detainee has access to interpreters, lawyers and medical staff and that vulnerable persons will not be removed until individual risk assessments have been completed.
For employers, the sweep is a reminder of the government’s zero-tolerance stance on illegal labour. Companies found to have knowingly employed or housed undocumented workers face fines of up to €10,000 per person and possible suspension of business licences. Multinationals with construction projects or seasonal operations in Cyprus are advised to audit subcontractors’ compliance and tighten document-verification protocols.
With irregular arrivals on the Green Line showing no signs of easing, observers expect enforcement actions to remain frequent in the first half of 2026. Global mobility managers should therefore review contingency plans for assignees whose residence status might be affected by stepped-up inspections.
