Cyprus’s Cabinet yesterday adopted the EU regulation on a common international protection procedure and designated the Pournara First Reception, Screening and Identification Centre as a border asylum processing facility.
Under the decision, asylum seekers taken to Pournara will not be considered to have entered the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, even though the centre is located inland, according to Phileleftheros sources.
A determination on whether they may remain in Cyprus or face return procedures will be made within 12 weeks.
Under the regulation, asylum seekers undergoing border procedures — which take place after the completion of the screening process — are not permitted to enter Cyprus and must remain at the external borders or at designated locations nearby.
The border detention measure applies when an asylum seeker poses a risk to national security or public order, when they have deliberately misled authorities about their identity or nationality, or when their application is considered likely to be unfounded or originates from a safe country of origin.
