Cyprus Police step up island-wide immigration raids as deportations hit new record

Cyprus began the new week with a pre-dawn, island-wide immigration sweep that netted 31 third-country nationals who were living or working in the Republic without valid status. Specialist teams from the Aliens and Immigration Service and the Green Line Surveillance & Migration-Flow Management Sub-Directorate fanned out across all six districts at 06:00 on 20 April, targeting worksites, accommodation blocks and known gathering points for irregular migrants. By midday, seven of those arrested had already been placed on flights out of Larnaca under the EU’s Joint Return Operations framework, while the remainder were being fast-tracked through detention and removal procedures. Monday’s raids are part of a high-intensity enforcement strategy rolled out in early 2024 after Cyprus recorded the EU’s highest per-capita rate of new asylum claims for four consecutive years. According to Interior Ministry data, irregular arrivals fell to 2,444 in 2025—down more than 60 % year-on-year—while voluntary and forced returns climbed to a record 11,742. Officials attribute the shift to a mix of tougher border policing along the UN-buffer zone, rapid processing of manifestly unfounded claims, and generous re-integration grants for voluntary returnees funded by EU AMIF monies. Business chambers have broadly welcomed the clamp-down, arguing that unchecked irregular inflows distorted the labour market and jeopardised Cyprus’ bid to join the Schengen Area in 2026. Human-rights groups counter that large-scale sweeps risk pushing vulnerable people further underground and could violate EU due-process safeguards if accelerated removal leaves little time for legal counsel. The government insists that each case is individually assessed and that special protection is afforded to victims of trafficking or conflict. For multinational companies operating on the island, the message is clear: expect more unannounced workplace inspections and make sure all third-country staff—from construction crews to tech contractors—hold up-to-date permits. Employers found using undocumented labour face fines of up to €20,000 per worker and possible exclusion from public tenders.



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Immigration lawyers report a spike in corporate calls requesting compliance audits and refresher training on Cyprus’ recently digitalised Aliens Register, which now integrates with the EU’s forthcoming Entry/Exit System. Looking ahead, the Interior Ministry says it will maintain “daily tactical operations” throughout the summer tourist season, when short-term visitor volumes surge. A legislative package expected before parliament in May will also shorten appeals deadlines in manifestly unfounded asylum cases—from 15 to seven days—bringing Cyprus in line with the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. Should the measures pass, legal departments of hospitality, shipping and energy firms will need to review onboarding timelines to ensure newly recruited third-country nationals clear the tighter procedural windows.