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The Republic of Cyprus has decided to halt the processing of all asylum applications from Syrian migrants, citing provisions within European frameworks for handling increased and emergency migration flows.
This decision was announced by the Director of the Minister of Interior's Office, Loizos Hatzivasilis, speaking to the Cyprus News Agency.
According to Hatzivasilis, individuals can still submit their applications, but they will be transferred to reception centers where basic material conditions, such as food and shelter, will be provided, without eligibility for allowances. Those who choose to leave these centers will not receive allowances.
Pending the European Union's efforts to designate specific areas in Syria as safe, the examination of asylum applications will be suspended, Hatzivasilis added.
He also noted that these individuals, like all asylum seekers, will not have access to employment for the first nine months.
The decision comes in response to increased migration flows from Lebanon and will apply to all new arrivals from the day the decision was made, which was yesterday, Sunday, when 22 arrivals were recorded.
Responding to a question, Hatzivasilis stated that there are currently ten thousand pending applications, both older and recent ones, and their examination will not proceed.
Today, a letter will be sent to the Commission informing them that Nicosia is activating a relevant directive suspending application reviews within the provided timeframe, which is 21 months.
[With information sourced from CNA]
