10 deported to Syria after Limassol brawl

Ten people have been deported to Syria after their arrests in connection with a mass brawl in Limassol last month, police said on Wednesday.

The 10, all Syrian nationals, were among 12 people arrested in connection with the incident, with the police confirming to the Cyprus Mail they have been returned to their country of origin.

The deportations come with Cyprus opening the way for Syrian nationals on the island to return home, with the international protection administrative court having last week made a series of rulings to clear the way for their expedited return if their asylum claims are rejected.

Those rulings mean that the migration deputy ministry is now able to directly deport Syrians staying on the island without residence documents if their appeal against a rejected asylum claim is also rejected.

Cyprus has seen a marked increase in the number of voluntary returns of irregular migrants who have arrived on the island’s shores, with the police announcing last month that 11,500 irregular migrants voluntarily left the island last year.

The island has been commended on this front, too, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen having previously said the country has “made good progress” on the matter during a visit to Paphos.

Her words echoing those of former European Commission vice president for promoting the European way of life Margaritis Schinas, who had described Cyprus as an “emerging European champion of migrant returns”.