Cypriot authorities launched a six-hour, island-wide operation at 06:00 on 18 January to track down third-country nationals who were living or working in the Republic without valid residence status. Special units from the Aliens and Immigration Service and the Green-Line Surveillance Directorate fanned out across all six districts, targeting construction sites, agricultural holdings and urban apartment blocks that intelligence analysts had flagged as high-risk for illegal stayers. By noon, 31 people of seven different nationalities had been taken into custody; seven were placed on the first available removal flight while the remainder were transferred to Menoyia Detention Centre for fast-tracked deportation hearings.(in-cyprus.philenews.com)
The mass sweep is the latest manifestation of the Christodoulides government’s aggressive returns strategy. According to police statistics, Cyprus repatriated 11,742 migrants—voluntary and forced—during 2025, eclipsing the 10,092 removals recorded in 2024. Over the same period, irregular arrivals fell to just 2,444, compared with more than 17,000 at the height of the crisis in 2022. Officials credit daily street checks, airline carrier sanctions and new rapid-decision asylum procedures for reversing the flow.(in-cyprus.philenews.com)
Business travel managers should note that identity inspections around airports, bus stations and the UN-monitored Green Line are now both more frequent and more rigorous. Expatriate staff on assignment in Cyprus who hold older paper residence permits—or whose passports carry expired entrance stamps—face a real risk of detention until status is clarified. Companies are advised to audit employee documentation, ensure that dependent family members carry copies of their residence cards at all times, and remind visitors that overstays of even one day can trigger entry bans under the new zero-tolerance regime.
![Cyprus police arrest 31 undocumented migrants in nationwide dawn sweep]()
For businesses and travelers navigating this tightened compliance landscape, VisaHQ can help simplify the process of obtaining or renewing Cyprus visas and residence permits. Through its intuitive platform (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/), users can verify up-to-date requirements, assemble the correct supporting documents and arrange secure courier delivery, minimizing the administrative missteps that could now result in fines, detention or removal.
In parallel, the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection is expanding the voluntary-return incentive scheme, offering €1,000 cash, free airfare and job-placement counselling to migrants who leave within set deadlines. Employers that facilitate voluntary returns can be exempted from the hefty administrative fines normally levied for hiring workers without papers, creating a legal pathway to regularise supply-chain labour while avoiding reputational damage.
While human-rights groups have expressed concern over due-process safeguards, the government insists that the policy is necessary to relieve pressure on reception centres and to bolster Cyprus’ bid to join the Schengen Area in 2026. A delegation of EU migration experts is expected in Nicosia next month to audit return procedures, data-sharing with Frontex and compliance with the EU Return Directive.
The mass sweep is the latest manifestation of the Christodoulides government’s aggressive returns strategy. According to police statistics, Cyprus repatriated 11,742 migrants—voluntary and forced—during 2025, eclipsing the 10,092 removals recorded in 2024. Over the same period, irregular arrivals fell to just 2,444, compared with more than 17,000 at the height of the crisis in 2022. Officials credit daily street checks, airline carrier sanctions and new rapid-decision asylum procedures for reversing the flow.(in-cyprus.philenews.com)
Business travel managers should note that identity inspections around airports, bus stations and the UN-monitored Green Line are now both more frequent and more rigorous. Expatriate staff on assignment in Cyprus who hold older paper residence permits—or whose passports carry expired entrance stamps—face a real risk of detention until status is clarified. Companies are advised to audit employee documentation, ensure that dependent family members carry copies of their residence cards at all times, and remind visitors that overstays of even one day can trigger entry bans under the new zero-tolerance regime.
For businesses and travelers navigating this tightened compliance landscape, VisaHQ can help simplify the process of obtaining or renewing Cyprus visas and residence permits. Through its intuitive platform (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/), users can verify up-to-date requirements, assemble the correct supporting documents and arrange secure courier delivery, minimizing the administrative missteps that could now result in fines, detention or removal.
In parallel, the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection is expanding the voluntary-return incentive scheme, offering €1,000 cash, free airfare and job-placement counselling to migrants who leave within set deadlines. Employers that facilitate voluntary returns can be exempted from the hefty administrative fines normally levied for hiring workers without papers, creating a legal pathway to regularise supply-chain labour while avoiding reputational damage.
While human-rights groups have expressed concern over due-process safeguards, the government insists that the policy is necessary to relieve pressure on reception centres and to bolster Cyprus’ bid to join the Schengen Area in 2026. A delegation of EU migration experts is expected in Nicosia next month to audit return procedures, data-sharing with Frontex and compliance with the EU Return Directive.
