Cyprus has allegedly rejected asylum applications for at least 15 Afghan nationals, according to a statement from the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) Cyprus chapter, in what the group claims represents “a de facto reclassification of Afghanistan as a ‘safe’ country”.
The alleged rejections, reportedly communicated on 30 June 2025, represent what the IWW claims as the first instance of mass Afghan asylum denials since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021. The group alleges Afghan nationals had “generally been granted asylum in Cyprus” previously.
“This mass rejection appears to signal a de facto reclassification of Afghanistan as a ‘safe’ country for the first time since its reoccupation by Taliban forces,” the IWW statement claimed.
The group alleges the rejected applicants have until the end of July 2025 to file appeals, with costs ranging between €1,000 and €2,000 per case. The appeals process allegedly allows for partial upfront payments, with the remainder payable through legal aid arrangements.
The IWW statement claimed one of the affected individuals, identified by the pseudonym Abed for security reasons, has been an active union member organising workers’ rights in Cyprus for over a year. The group alleged Abed previously advocated for workers’ rights in Afghanistan and “has been targeted by the Taliban, one of the key reasons he applied for asylum after the Taliban’s return to power.”
“His family continues to alert him to the real and immediate danger he would face if deported,” the statement claimed.
The group described the alleged rejections as representing “a further tightening of the asylum process, in line with the policies of the Republic of Cyprus, whose government takes pride in its harsh deportation record and treats condemnation by the European Court of Human Rights as a badge of honour.”
The IWW has launched a fundraising campaign to support the appeals process, stating: “We believe there is a strong chance Abed and his fellow asylum seekers can win their appeals.”
The group suggested the alleged policy shift may be strategic, claiming: “We also believe the state may be hoping to retain the appearance of legality by granting asylum only to those who appeal, while quietly deporting those who cannot afford to.”
Afghanistan has been under Taliban control since August 2021, when the group seized power following the withdrawal of international forces. The United Nations and multiple human rights organisations have documented extensive restrictions on women’s rights and political freedoms under Taliban rule.
In 2022, the Cypriot Foreign Ministry condemned a decision to suspend higher education for Afghan women and to also ban them from working for NGOs.
Crackdown on migration
According to official figures, Cyprus has deported over 18,000 people since the Christodoulides administration took over in 2023 and has the European Union’s highest return-to-arrival ratio at 179%.
Human rights organisations have raised concerns about Cyprus’s treatment of asylum seekers.
(Picture: REUTERS/Costas Baltas)
