The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, announced on 23 March 2020 a series of emergency measures, including a “ban on unnecessary movement.” However no specific measures were announced at that time concerning the situation of migrants and asylum seekers, who make up an increasingly large proportion of the island nation’s population (with a small population of less than a million inhabitants, the country had as of 2019 the highest number of asylum applications per capita in the region).
The Emergency Reception Centre in Kokkinotrimithia has been converted into a First Registration Centre with an increased capacity, which is now operating as a de facto detention centre, according to NGOs in Cyprus. The Centre is intended to reach a capacity of 800 persons although it currently has a capacity of 350-400. The Cyprus Refugee Council and Caritas Cyprus say that during the past month, “with no legal basis and without adequate renovation, the Centre has been turned into a de facto detention centre made up of tents where people are living in appalling conditions and not allowed to leave.”
As of this update, it is unclear if Cyprus has taken any measures in its main dedicated immigration detention centre, the Menoyia Detention Centre. Referring to the examples of Spain, Portugal, and the UK, where detainees have been released, the Cyprus Refugee Council and Caritas Cyprus said that their country had failed to take similar measures: “Unfortunately, it would seem that Cyprus has opted to renege on its obligations to those who have sought refuge from persecution or poverty on its soil.”
Previously, Cyprus made widespread use of prisons and police stations for the purposes of immigration detention, and reports indicate that people can still be held in these facilities for short periods of time before being transferred to the main detention centre.
On 27 March 2020, it was announced that 50 prisoners would be released from the Nicosia prison as concerns grew over overcrowding amid the Covid-19 outbreak. The prison is currently holding 820 prisoners for 540 spaces. Only non-violent prisoners would be released. Subsequently, on 31 March 2020, the Cypriot cabinet approved a series of measures to cut down on overcrowding at the Nicosia central prison. Measures include early release, moving certain inmates to open the open prison and electronic home monitoring. Authorities said they would be releasing 114 prisoners.
- Cyprus Refugee Council and Caritas Cyprus, “NGOs raise alarm over inhumane conditions at overcrowded migrant camp,” BDigital Web Solutions, 3 April 2020, https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/ngos-raise-alarm-over-inhumane-conditions-at-overcrowded-migrant-detention-camp
- B. Bathke, “Cyprus is Becoming New Entry Point for Migrants Trying to Reach the EU,” InfoMigrants, 3 May 2019, https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/16644/cyprus-is-becoming-new-entry-point-for-migrants-trying-to-reach-the-eu
- Cyprus Refugee Council, “AIDA Country Report: Cyprus, 2019 update”, 2 April 2020, www.asylumineurope.org/sites/default/files/report-download/aida_cy_2019update.pdf
- N. Theodoulou, “Coronavirus: Around 50 Prisoners to be Released – Reports”, Cyprus Mail, 27 March 2020, https://cyprus-mail.com/2020/03/27/coronavirus-around-50-prisoners-to-be-released-reports/
- Global Detention Project, Immigration Detention in Cyprus, https://www.globaldetentionproject.org/countries/europe/cyprus
