The Supreme Court has dismissed a case involving a Pakistani migrant, ruling that he must remain in detention after repeated failed applications and a sham marriage.
The decision followed a petition for release filed by the man, who argued that his detention was unlawful because the Deputy Minister of Migration had not reviewed it within the two-month period required by law.
The case concerns a Pakistani migrant who entered Cyprus illegally through the north in 2018. Since then, he has submitted numerous applications for asylum, international protection and residence permits, all of which were rejected. He later married a Bulgarian citizen, but his application for residence as a family member of an EU national was refused due to a conviction in Bulgaria for possessing a forged document and doubts over the authenticity of the marriage certificates. His appeals to both the Administrative Court and the Court of Appeal were also dismissed, leaving him without legal status.
In March 2025 he was arrested for illegal stay, with deportation and detention orders issued. Although initially released under alternative measures, he breached the conditions and was detained again in May. The May detention order formed the basis of his request for release.
The Court found that there had been no violation of the legal time limits, as a review was eventually carried out in July, and that the detention period remained within the six-month legal limit. It concluded that continued detention was justified due to the lack of travel documents, high risk of absconding and non-compliance with previous orders.
The Supreme Court therefore rejected the petition, ruling that the detention of the Pakistani migrant remains lawful.
Also read: Forty-six dangerous products flagged by EU alert system
For more videos and updates, check out our YouTube channel.
