Few member states have experienced the consequences of uncontrolled migration as directly and as profoundly as Cyprus. Its presidency of the Council of the European Union comes at a moment when security and border control once again dominate the EU's political agenda — as often happens.
Europe's security rests on two main conditions: first, its capacity to protect external borders, safeguard stability and preserve the cohesion of our societies. Secondly, its ability to demonstrate resilience and implement 'strategic autonomy' in the face of external actors attempting to undermine European sovereignty. In fact, as the traditional European multilateral model becomes increasingly inefficient, 'strategic autonomy' emphasises the EU's capacity to operate independently in strategic policy areas such as trade, economic policy, and defence.
This article is part of The Parliament's Guide to the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.
A warning for the EU
For years, Cyprus has ranked among the top EU countries in irregular arrivals per capita. According to Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas, in 2024, asylum seekers accounted for almost 10% of the island's total population during peak levels, an unprecedented strain on institutions, infrastructure and social services. And, equally important, it stretched the social fabric of the country.
This complicated situation was — and still is — exacerbated by the geopolitical situation on the island, where, since 1974, we have been living under illegal Turkish military occupation of 37% of our territory.
Therefore, while irregular sea arrivals persist, most illegal migrants enter through the United Nations Green Line. They cross the buffer zone, often aided by networks that profit from human suffering. This is no coincidence. Turkey has for years pursued a strategy of hybrid warfare, exploiting migration as a tool to exert pressure on Cyprus and, by extension, the EU.
At the same time, Cyprus faces the same profound demographic challenge as many European partners: declining birth rates and a shrinking native workforce, threatening the welfare systems and long-term cohesion of European societies.
We must draw a clear line. We should reject the simplistic notion of 'solving' Europe's demographic decline, as it risks a progressive replacement of our populations and imported labour. Such a strategy would undermine cultural continuity and, ultimately, the trust of citizens in the European project.
What lessons, then, can the Cypriot experience offer Europe? First, that strong and credible border management is indispensable to ensure the EU's credibility with its citizens. Secondly, migration policy must be addressed not only as a humanitarian issue but also as a question of sovereignty, security and resilience. Finally, Europe must not allow itself to be blackmailed by external actors weaponising migration flows.
Strengthening European co-operation
To its credit, Cyprus has already taken significant steps to address illegal migration.
The time required to process asylum applications has been drastically reduced, ensuring swifter decisions and reducing incentives for abuse of the system. Yet more remains to be done, and European co-operation is key.
A positive development in this regard is the deployment of EU-LISA, the EU Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems. Among its new tools is the Entry/Exit System (EES).
The EES will digitally register entries and exits of non-EU nationals in a pan-European biometric database, allowing authorities to verify immediately whether a non-EU national has previously been registered elsewhere in the EU, including through asylum or other migration procedures, and to flag individuals with criminal records or security risks. Introduced in October, the EES will be activated at all 29 Schengen borders by 10 April 2026, almost three months before the end of the Cyprus presidency.
The message during its six-month mandate should be clear: Europe must match solidarity with responsibility. Migration, demographic resilience and border security are not isolated questions but part of the same strategic challenge.
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