Speaking to MEPs on 28 January 2026, Deputy Minister for Migration and International Protection Nikolas Ioannides placed voluntary and forced returns at the heart of Cyprus’ migration agenda for its six-month EU Council Presidency.
Appearing before the European Parliament’s LIBE Committee, Ioannides reported that Cyprus repatriated more than 10,000 migrants in 2024—giving the island the EU’s highest departures-to-arrivals ratio—and vowed to make the yet-to-be-finalised EU Return Regulation a legislative priority. Faster, dignified returns, he argued, are essential to sustaining the dramatic 86 % drop in irregular arrivals and preventing new trafficking routes through the Eastern Mediterranean.
The minister outlined plans for dedicated ‘return hubs’, greater use of Frontex charter flights and expanded reintegration packages funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. He also called for tougher EU visa leverage against non-co-operative third countries, echoing language in the Commission’s newly issued Migration Strategy.
![Returns ‘Decisive’ for Migration Management, Cypriot Deputy Minister Tells European Parliament]()
Amid these shifting dynamics, organisations and travellers can streamline their compliance by using specialist platforms such as VisaHQ, which provides up-to-date guidance on Cyprus entry requirements and assists with paperwork for work, business and tourist visas; its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) tracks rule changes in real time and offers concierge support when applications need rapid turnaround.
Human-rights deputies pressed Ioannides about safeguards, urging Cyprus to guarantee individual assessments and access to legal counsel before removal. The deputy minister responded that the forthcoming EU Solidarity Pool would continue to support frontline states but stressed that “solidarity cannot replace enforcement”.
For global-mobility managers, the focus on returns signals a policy environment where rejected applicants—and their employers—will face shorter deadlines to regularise status or depart. Companies with third-country staff in Cyprus should review compliance procedures and monitor forthcoming guidance on the EU Return Regulation.
Appearing before the European Parliament’s LIBE Committee, Ioannides reported that Cyprus repatriated more than 10,000 migrants in 2024—giving the island the EU’s highest departures-to-arrivals ratio—and vowed to make the yet-to-be-finalised EU Return Regulation a legislative priority. Faster, dignified returns, he argued, are essential to sustaining the dramatic 86 % drop in irregular arrivals and preventing new trafficking routes through the Eastern Mediterranean.
The minister outlined plans for dedicated ‘return hubs’, greater use of Frontex charter flights and expanded reintegration packages funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. He also called for tougher EU visa leverage against non-co-operative third countries, echoing language in the Commission’s newly issued Migration Strategy.
Amid these shifting dynamics, organisations and travellers can streamline their compliance by using specialist platforms such as VisaHQ, which provides up-to-date guidance on Cyprus entry requirements and assists with paperwork for work, business and tourist visas; its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) tracks rule changes in real time and offers concierge support when applications need rapid turnaround.
Human-rights deputies pressed Ioannides about safeguards, urging Cyprus to guarantee individual assessments and access to legal counsel before removal. The deputy minister responded that the forthcoming EU Solidarity Pool would continue to support frontline states but stressed that “solidarity cannot replace enforcement”.
For global-mobility managers, the focus on returns signals a policy environment where rejected applicants—and their employers—will face shorter deadlines to regularise status or depart. Companies with third-country staff in Cyprus should review compliance procedures and monitor forthcoming guidance on the EU Return Regulation.
