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Cyprus recorded a 42% decline in asylum applications in 2024, receiving 6,750 claims, according to the European Migration Network’s Annual Report on Asylum and Migration. This placed Cyprus eighth among EU countries for the largest annual reduction in applications.
Despite the drop, Cyprus still had the highest number of asylum applications per capita in the EU, at 7.23 per 1,000 inhabitants. The country also ranked third in the EU for the share of third-country nationals, at 13.8% of its population.
The report highlights major changes in Cyprus’s migration system, including the creation of a Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection, which now oversees asylum and anti-human trafficking efforts. Cyprus improved training for police and officials to identify trafficking victims and published a guide for exploitation victims.
Cyprus advanced its efforts toward joining the Schengen Area by strengthening border controls, upgrading infrastructure, and enhancing data systems. The country also established a specialized anti-smuggling police unit and increased cooperation with Frontex, participating in 16 joint return operations and improving return procedures.
Reception centers were expanded, including plans to boost capacity at the Kofinou center to 750 beds, alongside new software to better coordinate asylum services. Cyprus also rolled out integration initiatives, such as vocational training for unaccompanied minors reaching adulthood and planned prepaid bank cards to help migrants access benefits.
Healthcare access for asylum seekers was formalized, and Ukrainian refugee children were allowed to continue online schooling through Ukraine’s system, exempt from mandatory attendance in Cypriot public schools.
The report notes that across the EU, asylum applications fell 13% in 2024, the first decline in several years, and highlights legal reforms aimed at better migration management ahead of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, set to take effect in 2026.
