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Cyprus recorded a notable 22% decrease in the number of new appeals by asylum seekers in 2024, according to the Legal Service's annual statistical report. A total of 6,564 cases were filed with the Administrative Court of International Protection last year, compared to 8,377 in 2023.
Despite the overall drop, the data reveals a sharp rise in appeals from nationals of so-called non-safe countries. These accounted for 68% of all filings, with dramatic increases noted among nationals from Liberia (2,381%), Cameroon (222%), and Sierra Leone (100%). In contrast, appeals from safe countries saw a steep 44% drop, including Bangladesh (-86%), Pakistan (-82%), and India (-76%).
The Legal Service, which manages a broad array of immigration-related legal actions, also reported that only 1.38% of the 4,534 appeals adjudicated in 2024 were successful, that is just 63 cases, including 25 grants of refugee status and 4 of subsidiary protection.
Meanwhile, detention and deportation activity intensified. The number of such orders filed in 2024 reached 192, up from 153 in the previous year. Petitions for habeas corpus surged significantly, with 32 filed in 2024, marking a 357% increase from the 7 recorded in 2023.
At year’s end, the backlog grew to 6,590 pending cases, a jump from 4,902 the year before. The Administrative Court also received 1,465 general appeals against the Republic in 2024, 56% of which were filed by foreign nationals, covering issues from citizenship disputes to deportation challenges. Notably, 81% of court decisions in these cases favored the Republic.
