Cyprus is technically ready to become a full member of the Schengen Area, and all that is needed now is a political agreement, emphasized the Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection, Nicholas Ioannides, in remarks to reporters in Luxembourg on Thursday as he arrived for the Justice and Home Affairs Council.
“All of the Commission’s recommendations are now considered to have been implemented. Consequently, from a technical standpoint, Cyprus is ready to become a full member of the Schengen Area. It is now necessary to reach an agreement at the political level,” he said, adding that Nicosia is counting on the support of its EU partners in the coming months.
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Referring to the recent crisis in Ceuta, he expressed Cyprus’s solidarity with Spain. “In the event that any member state faces massive migration flows, the EU and its member states must ensure that the affected state receives tangible support. We must act in a coordinated manner to safeguard the EU’s territory and the Schengen Area,” he said.
Mr. Ioannidis said that Cyprus supports enhanced cooperation with third countries to increase returns. “We believe in meaningful cooperation with key third countries. However, if certain third countries are unwilling to cooperate with us, we will have to adopt strict measures,” he emphasized. He also noted that the EU’s situational awareness and early warning capabilities must be improved to address mass irregular movements.
When asked whether new regulations are needed, he replied that the new Pact on Migration and Asylum already includes specific rules regarding force majeure. “There have been discussions about a new crisis management mechanism to resolve some outstanding issues, so we may discuss additional measures. But the overall framework is, I believe, a solid legal foundation,” he said.
Regarding the possibility of temporarily suspending asylum applications in the event of mass arrivals, he said that this is part of the same discussion. “We need to address specific cases where the rules on force majeure do not apply—that is, when migrants do not submit asylum applications. We are open to discussion and willing to support any initiative that will allow us to effectively address such cases of mass influxes,” he added.
Source: CNA
