Ex ‘superminister’ defends proposal after boat disaster

A Cypriot former minister known for his tough stance on migration wants a yay or nay on his proposal where asylum applications could be filed abroad, a measure not supported by some capitals including Berlin, which may be having second thoughts in the aftermath of a boat disaster in Greece.

Nicos Nouris, who served as interior minister in the previous administration, appeared on local television this week in the aftermath of a boat disaster in Pylos off the coast of Greece, where hundreds of irregular migrants died while trying to reach Italy.

“Do we want to keep seeing people drowning and being lost at sea? The answer clearly is no. Do we want to keep seeing traffickers enrich themselves in this way, again, no,” Nouris said.

According to Nouris, his view that asylum seekers ought to apply for a visa in their country of residence was unpopular and lacked support from countries such as France and Germany.

Nouris, who has argued the majority of asylum seekers were economic migrants, said applicants could avoid risks by filing asylum petitions in their own countries or states where they transit, but the former minister also warned that rejected applicants would be banned from traveling to that country of choice according to the proposal.

“If the Cypriot government today believes this proposal is correct, it ought to push forward because I believe unequivocally that, yes, it can make a contribution,” Nouris said.

Germany seeks to launch “opportunity card”

While Germany never supported Nouris’ proposal, recent reports said Berlin was set to pass legislation this week that would make it easier for skilled workers to immigrate to an EU member state.

According to draft legislation unveiled earlier this year in Berlin, which seeks to address labor shortages in the country, immigration reform could increase the number of workers from countries outside the EU by 60,000 people a year.

Reuters said the bill, which was expected to pass, would offer foreign workers three pathways to enter Germany, including through a new “opportunity card” for people who do not have a job offer but have the potential to find work.

Economic migrants vs asylum seekers

But critics have pointed out that economic migrants are a different category from asylum seekers, who are forced to flee due to conflict or persecution and their application circumstances may be difficult.

Nouris, who argued recent EU migration reform did not serve Cyprus’ interests, said his proposal ought to be adopted “if we want to talk about European solidarity, especially as regards to frontline states.”

Last week the President’s Cabinet decided to establish a Deputy Ministry for Immigration and Asylum, a domain currently led by the interior minister.

The new ministry would streamline services relevant to migration and foreign nationals and bring them under one roof, while now domains including social security and labor are housed separately and require close cooperation between ministries.

During his tenure, Nouris was accused of acting like a “superminister” after critics said the then-former minister was too involved with asylum seekers, such as directing rescue operations, ordering illegal pushbacks, and denying benefits.

Nouris, who has accused Turkey repeatedly of pushing economic migrants to Cyprus, says his proposal would also cut down on numbers of asylum seekers coming from the divided island’s northern part.

Newly-hired border agents in the south have been trained to carry out immigration inspections, forced turnarounds, and on-the-spot deportations near the buffer zone known as Green Line, which separates the island between a recognized Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north not recognized by other countries except Turkey.