For years, Cyprus has been at the forefront of a demanding migration reality. As the European Union's member state with the highest number of asylum seekers per capita, Cyprus is shouldering a disproportionate burden that is testing its administrative capacity and the effectiveness of European policies. The country's experience shows that the EU can no longer rely on a mechanism that leaves frontline states to manage a European challenge solely through national means.
Cyprus' presidency of the Council of the European Union offers a significant opportunity to put the issue of fair sharing of responsibilities back on the agenda — a debate that the new Pact on Migration and Asylum fails to address.
The disproportionate pressures on Cyprus are caused by its geographical location as the EU's south-eastern external frontier and its proximity to conflict zones in the Middle East and Africa. Furthermore, Turkey instrumentalises migrants by facilitating their travel to the occupied northern part of the island, from which they then cross the ceasefire line into the Republic of Cyprus to seek asylum within the EU.
Despite the country's limited reception capacities and repeated calls for solidarity, the EU has often limited itself to technical support and funding.
This article is part of The Parliament's Guide to the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Beyond border externalisation
The issue of migration policy and integration must be examined from a different, more people-centred perspective.
Migration policy cannot be effective if it continues to be based on the logic of the 'fortress Europe' doctrine, which mainly relies on Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, to implement a strategy of deterrence, policing and border externalisation — that is, the transfer of responsibility to non-EU countries.
This increases the EU's dependence on third, often authoritarian, states for the management of migration and the control of its borders, as seen in agreements with Turkey, Libya, Tunisia and Egypt. At the same time, it endangers the human rights of asylum seekers.
The EU needs a comprehensive approach that can address the root causes of migration, fostering peace, development and international co-operation. A system combining humanity, shared responsibility, rapid and fair examination of asylum claims, along with integration policies that help refugees and local communities to coexist harmoniously.
Solidarity should not be based on a voluntary mechanism, such as the one established by the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, which replaced the Dublin system that had shaped EU migration policy for more than three decades.
The pact, which is expected to enter into force in June 2026, offers reluctant member states alternative pathways to migrant relocation from border countries, including financial aid and operational support.
What migration strategy
Cyprus has the credibility to speak out about the flaws of the system and has every interest in promoting alternative solutions.
During its mandate, Cyprus should encourage co-operation with third countries based on development, stability and human rights, rather than backing restrictive border control agreements. Strengthening the EU's external dimension can also be achieved through legal migration routes and effective resettlement programmes, reducing irregular arrivals.
In addition, Cyprus should reiterate the importance of integration policies, proposing pan-European support for education, housing and employment initiatives. Such efforts should be closely linked to the European Education Area, promoting inclusive access to quality education and training, mutual recognition of qualifications, language learning, and lifelong learning opportunities. Embedding integration measures within the framework of the European Education Area — in co-ordination with the European Commission and member states — would help ensure consistency, mobility and equal standards across Europe.
The stakes are high — and deeply political. Maintaining the status quo will only continue to benefit the European far right, in search of arguments to bolster its anti-immigration agenda. The current EU migration policy framework risks triggering new crises, further exacerbating the public debate and complicating any future attempt to fix the legal regime.
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