The issue of the barbed-wire fence erected during Nikos Nouris’s tenure as Minister of Interior, along the Nicosia dead zone to stem migration flows, is once again in the spotlight, with the government re-evaluating its position following the UN Secretary-General’s report.
According to information obtained by philenews, the matter has not yet been discussed in depth, nor has any decision been made. However, according to competent sources, the issue will soon be addressed in its entirety.
This re-evaluation, according to the same information, will concern both the purpose for which the fence was erected and the fact that it is one of the issues raised by the UN Secretary-General in the last two years.
The matter will be initially handled by the Deputy Ministry of Migration, specifically regarding whether it has been effective in curbing migration flows and, more importantly, whether its removal would worsen the situation by potentially encouraging irregular migrants to enter the free areas via the occupied territories.
It is noted that during the previous administration, in addition to the 14-kilometre fence installed in the dead zone between Astromeritis and Akaki under Nouris’s ministry, there was also a decision to implement a second phase of installing barbed wire in the Athienou area, but the change in government put the plan on hold.
All additional planned works have been cancelled, and it was decided to re-evaluate the matter in the future. Now, with the new report from Antonio Guterres regarding the unauthorised barbed wire fence, installed in the buffer zone by the Republic of Cyprus in 2021 and 2022, against the protests of the UN mission in Cyprus, which has not been removed despite previous indications, the government is taking pause.
As the report says “the unauthorised 14 kilometres of concertina wire fence placed in the buffer zone by the Republic of Cyprus in 2021 and 2022, against the mission’s protests, has not been removed despite previous indications that it would be”.
It is noteworthy that recently, DISY President Annita Demetriou, in a letter to the President of the Republic, called for the removal of the barbed wire fence as one of four measures she proposed for the Cyprus issue.
As a government source emphasised to philenews, it is certain that there will be no expansion, but it was also added that removing the fence is challenging as it may send the wrong message regarding migration.
However, from the evaluation conducted, it does not appear that the measure alone is a deterrent, as individuals can still cross at other points, and there are now border guards, i.e. contracted police officers patrolling along the dead zone.
As we were also told, migration patterns are constantly changing, and migrant flows are continually finding new ways to enter.
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