Yesterday morning, 76 applicants for international protection hailing from Syria and Afghanistan were transferred from Cyprus to France, marking the start of the voluntary relocation pilot program. This program is part of the cooperation between the Ministry of the Interior and France and is the first of many expected transfers in the coming months as part of the voluntary solidarity mechanism of the European Union.
The successful transfer was made possible through the joint efforts of the Ministry of the Interior's Asylum Service, the European Union Agency for Asylum, the International Organization for Migration, and the French authorities. This relocation comes after the transfer of 210 immigrants to France from other member states such as Germany, Bulgaria, and Romania over the past three months.
This program is intended to help frontline member states cope with the increasing challenges of migration by providing assistance from other member states through a context of solidarity. France's participation in the program and its acceptance of the first 76 applicants from Cyprus demonstrate practical support and a true spirit of solidarity towards the island nation.
It's worth noting that Cyprus is the first country in the EU in terms of the number of applications for international protection relative to its population. Relocations like this are funded by the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.
Source: Official Announcement
