The government is considering dismantling a controversial fence erected at the buffer zone to curb migration, as asylum seeker numbers have dropped.
Former Interior Minister Nicos Nouris pledged in May 2021 that the fence would be removed once migrant arrivals decreased. Three years on, asylum applications have indeed fallen, but not due to the barrier’s effectiveness.
Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection Nicholas Ioannides requested a police assessment of the fence’s utility. Phileleftheros sources indicate that the police report while acknowledging some benefits, leans towards removal. It notes that irregular migration has dropped by 90%, primarily due to stricter measures at crossing points from the occupied north.
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has criticised Cypriot authorities for pushing back asylum seekers to the UN buffer zone, despite repeated objections.
The fence’s presence has created an informal “third border” beyond the Green Line and buffer zone, raising political concerns. Local communities affected by the barrier support its removal, citing inconveniences such as divided farmland.
Ioannides is expected to present a proposal to the Cabinet in October, likely recommending the fence’s dismantling.
Cyprus seeks UN mediation with Turkey for stranded buffer zone migrants
In a separate development, 70 migrants are currently stranded in the buffer zone after crossing from the occupied areas. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has established a camp, while Cypriot authorities provide some supplies.
President Christodoulides has publicly disagreed with the UN over Cyprus’ obligations in this matter. The government maintains it is upholding its international, national, and EU commitments while preventing the buffer zone from becoming a migration route.
Cypriot officials are seeking UNHCR mediation with Turkey to potentially repatriate some migrants, with Cyprus willing to accept the remainder.
Negotiations are ongoing, with a response from Turkey’s Permanent Mission in Geneva awaited.
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