Of late, Cypriot authorities have stepped up nationwide enforcement raids targeting irregular and undocumented migrants. This has resulted in dozens of detentions and deportations. These events are part of the island’s wider focus on stepping up the return of non-nationals to their countries of origin. This is likely a task that Cyprus seeks to prioritize during its term as president of the EU Council.
Since mid-December ’25, authorities have conducted a series of raids aimed at apprehending, detaining, and removing irregular migrants from the island. For example, on Sunday, 25 January ’26, the media reported that the country’s Aliens and Immigration Service (YAM) had launched coordinated raids. Intelligence flagged addresses hosting irregular third-country nationals, prompting 120 officers to target them. This resulted in 31 people being detained by noon.
Alongside apprehensions, authorities have stepped up removal efforts. This was during the 5-week duration period between 10 December ’25 and 20 January ’26. 164 foreign nationals had been deported from detention centers and prisons. Citing several media reports, such removals are being coordinated by an interministerial ‘returns task force.’ It moves with the aim of freeing up space in overcrowded migrant facilities. Additionally, the task force is working to ensure a net outflow of foreign nationals from prisons.
These recent law enforcement operations are part of a broader Cyprus trend. During the recent past, there has been a heightened scrutiny of the country’s migrant-control practices. These have included pushbacks at sea and asylum seekers being left stranded in the buffer zone. Additionally, the alleged murder of a Pakistani migrant, Shohaib Khan, occurred near the buffer zone. There were also claims by the police during raids. This was so in the case of a 2-year-old incident, where a raid of a Limassol apartment in 2024 resulted in the death of a Bangladeshi national (Anisur Rahman).
