Cyprus-Syria Agreement Returns Syrian Migrants Intercepted by Navy

Cyprus and Syria have signed a bilateral agreement to manage irregular migration, under which Syria will take back its nationals intercepted while attempting to enter Cyprus by boat. Recently, Cypriot authorities turned back two inflatable boats carrying around 60 Syrians, escorting them back to the Syrian port of Tartus. Cypriot officials allege that human traffickers collaborate with local employers to smuggle Syrian workers into Cyprus to engage in illegal labor, circumventing laws that prohibit asylum seekers from working during their initial residency period. Cyprus has shifted from automatically granting asylum to Syrian migrants to assessing applications on a case-by-case basis, reflecting concerns that many Syrians are no longer eligible for asylum. The agreement aims to deter economic migration, though the UNHCR has expressed ongoing concerns about conditions in Syria and the principle of non-refoulement. Cypriot authorities emphasize that they will not tolerate abuse of the asylum system by individuals seeking entry solely for work purposes.