MEETING WITH THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF IMMIGRATION OF CYPRUS

On Wednesday, 15 October, MEP Javier Zarzalejos, in his capacity as Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), held a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Immigration of Cyprus, Dr Nicholas A. Ioannides. The meeting took place in the context of preparations for the upcoming Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will begin in January 2026.

The discussion focused on the challenges Cyprus will face during its presidency, with particular attention to the full and correct implementation of the Migration and Asylum Pact, whose deadline for Member States expires in June 2026. The rest of the legislative package on migration was also addressed, with special emphasis on the Return Regulation and the need to strengthen mechanisms that ensure the effective and coordinated management of asylum and migration policies across the Union.

Zarzalejos underlined the importance of ensuring a coherent application of the new European framework and reiterated LIBE’s willingness to support the efforts of the Cypriot Presidency, promoting a migration policy based on the rule of law and linked to the labour market.