Volt Cyprus Criticises Suspension of Syrian Asylum Applications

In its statement, the party accused the government of shifting its policy to boost its image, “without expecting any substantive results”.

“Suspending the examination of applications will in no way act as a deterrent for migration flows from Syria and Lebanon”, the statement reads, moving on to note that “placing the applications of Syrians on hold will add pressure to an already burdened asylum management system”, as “half of the asylum applications will be put in the drawer, only to be faced by the Asylum Service after a few months, by which time the overall number of pending applications will have again increased significantly.”

The party further states that “the President’s decision exceeds the limits of international law, touching the boundaries of racist policies. While the significant increase in flows from Syria and Lebanon justifies delays in processing applications, this should be done on an individual basis and should not target just one ethnicity. Targeting a specific ethnic group with your policy is the definition of racism.”

In its statement, the party reiterated its position for an effective asylum system, with humane reception conditions, fast and fair examination of asylum applications, integration and inclusion measures for those entitled to stay on the island, and effective voluntary returns in a humane and dignified manner, along with reintegration measures.

“The EU must show tangible support by establishing an effective mechanism for mandatory resettlement, based on demographic and economic criteria”, the statement concludes.

Source: In-Cyprus