Cyprus, a member of the European Union, announced that it has requested the bloc to review the status of Syria, stating that it remains unsafe and that asylum seekers cannot be returned there. This step comes in the wake of a wave of racially motivated attacks against foreigners in recent weeks, amid rising anti-immigrant sentiments on the Mediterranean island.
Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou affirmed that he will attempt to convince the European Union and the United Nations to end the status of Syria as an unsafe country for returning refugees. He noted, "As Cyprus, we consider, along with other member states, that it is beneficial to reassess the status of Syria," explaining that the EU has not changed the status of Syria for 11 years and that there is a need to review it since some areas are considered safe.
He stated, "There are indeed two areas recognized by the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA) as safe areas... thus, this should also be recognized at the EU level, allowing us to deport or return people to Syria. Currently, no country can do that." In a letter to Vice President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas, Ioannou highlighted the urgent need for assistance to Lebanon, which has taken in approximately 2.5 million Syrians.
He added, "The information we have from the authorities in Lebanon indicates an increase in the number of Syrians moving to Lebanon," emphasizing, "Lebanon is a barrier; if it collapses, Europe as a whole will face a problem."
