Cypriot police, working with the Deputy Ministry of Migration, organised back-to-back charter flights on 29-30 January that returned 171 irregular migrants to their home countries. Authorities described the two-day push as part of a broader three-year strategy that prioritises “swift, humane returns” and aims to ease pressure on reception centres. (kiprinform.com)
Official data show that Cyprus repatriated 11,742 people in 2025—up 16% on the previous year—while new irregular arrivals fell sharply to 2,444 from 17,434 in 2022. The government attributes the drop to faster processing times, expanded voluntary-return incentives financed by the EU, and stepped-up patrols along the Green Line and coastal zones.
For global-mobility teams moving talent to Cyprus, the figures underline the government’s increasingly robust enforcement environment. Companies sponsoring non-EU staff should ensure work-permit documents are up to date and that employees are aware of residency-status obligations; spot checks are becoming more frequent, particularly in service and construction hubs around Limassol and Nicosia.
![Cyprus repatriates 171 irregular migrants in 48-hour nationwide operation]()
At this juncture, mobility managers may find value in partnering with VisaHQ, which provides end-to-end visa and residence-permit facilitation for Cyprus, including document pre-checks and on-demand status tracking. Through its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/), the service can streamline applications for work permits, entry visas, and even family-reunification paperwork, helping companies remain compliant as enforcement intensifies.
The latest operation also hints at shifting migration corridors in the eastern Mediterranean. Officials confirmed that most returnees were from South Asian and sub-Saharan countries, rather than Syria or Lebanon, suggesting that recent bilateral readmission agreements are starting to bite.
Looking ahead, the Deputy Ministry plans to digitalise exit-permit workflows so that voluntary-return candidates can lodge applications online—potentially reducing processing from six weeks to ten days. Multinationals engaged in corporate social-responsibility programmes may find partnership opportunities in reintegration projects funded by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Official data show that Cyprus repatriated 11,742 people in 2025—up 16% on the previous year—while new irregular arrivals fell sharply to 2,444 from 17,434 in 2022. The government attributes the drop to faster processing times, expanded voluntary-return incentives financed by the EU, and stepped-up patrols along the Green Line and coastal zones.
For global-mobility teams moving talent to Cyprus, the figures underline the government’s increasingly robust enforcement environment. Companies sponsoring non-EU staff should ensure work-permit documents are up to date and that employees are aware of residency-status obligations; spot checks are becoming more frequent, particularly in service and construction hubs around Limassol and Nicosia.
At this juncture, mobility managers may find value in partnering with VisaHQ, which provides end-to-end visa and residence-permit facilitation for Cyprus, including document pre-checks and on-demand status tracking. Through its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/), the service can streamline applications for work permits, entry visas, and even family-reunification paperwork, helping companies remain compliant as enforcement intensifies.
The latest operation also hints at shifting migration corridors in the eastern Mediterranean. Officials confirmed that most returnees were from South Asian and sub-Saharan countries, rather than Syria or Lebanon, suggesting that recent bilateral readmission agreements are starting to bite.
Looking ahead, the Deputy Ministry plans to digitalise exit-permit workflows so that voluntary-return candidates can lodge applications online—potentially reducing processing from six weeks to ten days. Multinationals engaged in corporate social-responsibility programmes may find partnership opportunities in reintegration projects funded by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
