https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/coronavirus-measures-bring-sharp-drop-in-eu-asylum-applications
First-time asylum applicants in the EU recorded a sharp drop of almost 70% during the second quarter of 2020, mainly as a result of coronavirus emergency measures imposed by member states from March, Eurostat figures showed Wednesday....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/nearly-100-asylum-seekers-flown-out-of-cyprus
Fourteen unaccompanied minors have been transferred from the Republic of Cyprus to Finland, while another 84 foreign nationals were flown back to their countries in what the government described as ‘voluntary returns'...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/parliament-passes-bills-to-streamline-asylum-procedures
The House on Friday passed three amendments to the Refugee Law, streamlining asylum procedures....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/eight-new-cases-coronavirus-cluster-grows
Eight new coronavirus cases were detected in the Republic of Cyprus on Wednesday, when 2,449 tests were conducting, raising total known cases to 1,548....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/berlin-to-take-in-1-553-refugees-from-greece
As Germany indicated on Tuesday that it would take in more than 1,500 refugees from Lesvos and other Greek islands, the Greek government welcomed the move, indicating however that it should not be seen as rewarding irregular immigration. ...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/eu-solidarity-to-go-beyond-words-michel-tells-anastasiades
In a meeting with the European Council President Charles Michel on Wednesday, the President of the Republic of Cyprus expressed hope that EU member states will show a united front during next week’s extraordinary European Council summit on Turkey....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/thousands-protest-after-greek-refugee-camp-burns-down
Thousands of protesting refugees and migrants left homeless on the Greek island of Lesbos after fires destroyed the notoriously overcrowded Moria camp gathered on a road leading to the island's main town Friday, demanding to be allowed to leave....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/new-driver-permit-rules-stiffer-for-non-residents
The Cypriot transport ministry has issued tougher rules for some foreigners seeking to obtain a driver’s permit, essentially linking visa status to eligibility while barring refugees with pending applications as well as introducing stricter criteria...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/echr-asks-cyprus-to-explain-boat-incidents
The European Court of Human Rights has asked the government of the Republic of Cyprus to answer questions concerning recent refoulement of undocumented travelers at sea, in response to a request of an interim measure from a local attorney handling another case...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/eu-calls-on-cyprus-to-manage-migration-flows-in-line-with-eu-law
The EU said Tuesday that it acknowledges the difficulties faced by the Republic of Cyprus in terms of the flow of refugees it is called to deal with, but stressed that basic principles and EU legislation must be respected....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cyprus-defends-blocking-migrant-boats
A police task force from the Republic of Cyprus is hoping to hash out a plan with Lebanese authorities to deter “economic migrants” from traveling to the island, as government and state officials rush to respond to criticism over a decision to send back undocumented migrants to the neighbouring country...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/new-details-emerge-in-pournara-arrests
New details in last week’s Pournara speedy trial suggests a foreign man and five others convicted of trespassing had gone to the camp to confront another individual over sexual harassment allegations involving the perpetrator’s female relative...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/urgent-meeting-after-weekend-refugee-arrivals
Cypriot Interior Minister Nicos Nouris has called for an emergency meeting following a number of arrivals of undocumented migrants over the weekend, with some of them transported back to Lebanon and others facing the prospect of crowding into an already maxed-out facility...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/period-for-filing-appeals-against-asylum-service-decisions-slashed
The Cyprus Parliament on Friday amended the constitution to allow for a slashing of the time in which appeals can be filed against decisions of the asylum service from 75 days to 15 days....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/boat-carrying-refugees-pushed-back-by-cyprus-ends-up-in-un-area
A boat carrying 21 refugees from Lebanon and Syria that reached the Paralimni shore on Monday was pushed back by marine and port police, only to disembark in a nearby UN-controlled area on Tuesday....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/boat-carrying-23-migrants-reaches-pervolia-shore
23 irregular Syrian migrants who arrived by boat at a Larnaca beach on Sunday night were on Monday transferred to the Pournara camp in Kokkinotrimithia....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/crowded-migrant-camp-running-out-of-options
Officials at Pournara migrant camp are scrambling to find more space to host asylum seekers, after it emerged that more than half of detainees at the Nicosia facility are under quarantine due to coronavirus measures...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/foreign-dwellers-cramped-in-5x5-units-in-paphos
Paphos Mayor Phedonas Phedonos has pointed the finger at white collar crimes after a “shocking experience” Monday night when he saw first-hand foreign nationals living in poor conditions in violation of city ordinances...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/nicosia-mayor-weighs-in-on-migrant-housing
Nicosia Mayor Constantinos Yiorkadjis has suggested asylum applicants be barred from residing downtown until their applications are adjudicated, while also calling on the government for a 'clearer housing policy'...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/refugees-come-to-standstill-off-cape-greco
Fifteen Syrian refugees arrived in Cyprus late Wednesday night, while reports say coast guard officers are in talks with another boat off Cape Greco in an effort to turn ten others back to their country of departure...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/virus-infected-migrants-may-be-crossing-into-south
Asylum-seekers infected with coronavirus could be seeping through the porous Cyprus cease-fire line, the country’s health minister warned Sunday....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/supreme-court-orders-syrian-man-s-release
An asylum seeker, who was detained on national security grounds and his application had been rejected, was ordered to walk free after the Supreme Court ruled state authorities had no legal basis to keep him locked up...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/syrian-refugees-detained-in-the-north
Two undocumented migrants were injured in the north after being shot by police officers who attempted to detain them after a total of thirty Syrian refugees arrived at a beach Thursday early morning...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/unhcr-rep-to-provide-statement-on-sexual-harassment-claims-at-pournara
The UNHCR representative that raised the alarm regarding incidents of the sexual harassment of minors at the Pournara refugee camp in Kokkinotrimithia was expected to provide police with a statement on Wednesday, the outgoing police chief Kypros Michaelides said....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/probe-into-sexual-harassment-of-minors-allegations-at-pournara-camp-launched
Interior minister Nicos Nouris said a probe will be launched into reports made at the House human rights committee on Monday regarding the sexual harassment of minors at the Pournara refugee camp in Kokkinotrimithia.
...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/unhcr-report-one-per-cent-of-humanity-displaced
A UN Refugee Agency report released on Thursday showed that forced displacement is now affecting more than one per cent of humanity – 1 in every 97 people – and with fewer and fewer of those who flee being able to return home....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cyprus-outlines-drastic-step-on-migration
Republic of Cyprus Interior Minister Nikos Nouris is urgently seeking a constitutional amendment to shorten the time of due process for asylum applicants, calling a set of government-sponsored bills a “holistic approach” to immigration during a press conference on Thursday...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/interior-minister-presents-bills-for-streamlining-asylum-procedures
The house legal committee discussed on Tuesday a bundle of four bills, submitted by interior minister Nicos Nouris, that seek to streamline procedures for the processing of applications filed by asylum seekers as well as appeal proceedings....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/pournara-camp-lockdown-measures-to-be-scrapped-monday
The Interior Ministry announced Friday that lockdown measures at the Pournara camp for refugees and asylum seekers will be scrapped on Monday....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/police-use-tear-gas-at-migrant-camp
Police officers responded with tear gas at a group of migrants at the Pournara camp in rural Nicosia, as the debate over detaining asylum seekers continues on Cyprus...