Kasoulides negotiates migrant repatriations with Congo and Cameroon

Cyprus’ Foreign Minister, Ioannis Kasoulides, discussed with his counterparts from the Congo and Cameroon the start of bilateral negotiations with the aim of reaching agreements for the readmission of migrants, the Ministry said on Tuesday in a written statement.

The meetings took place on the sidelines of the Francophonie Summit that took place last week in Djerba, Tunisia.

According to the Foreign Ministry’s statement, Kasoulides held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the Congo and Cameroon, “two countries with large numbers of irregular immigrants in Cyprus”.

During these meetings, it adds, it was agreed to start bilateral negotiations with the aim of concluding agreements on the readmission of immigrants. It is noted that “both countries recognize the need to address the issue of the instrumentalization of migration”, as a result of which large numbers of migrants are channeled to Cyprus by people smugglers.

The Ministry also noted that both countries “do not recognize that their internal situation is such as to make their citizens asylum seekers”, adding that, a common approach was found regarding the root causes of the problem and ways to tackle it.