Cyprus has reduced migration flows by 90% through measures introduced in recent years, Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection Nikolas Ioannides said on Friday, stressing that authorities must balance the protection of human rights with the interests of states.
Speaking during a discussion with students at the University of Nicosia, Ioannides said the government had also increased returns and was working towards a sustainable asylum system that could provide applicants with the support and protection to which they are entitled.
The discussion, titled “Energy, International and European Law: The New Geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean and Greece-Cyprus Relations”, was organised by the SYNERGIA think tank as part of a University of Nicosia course on the application of international and European law.
Cyprus and the European asylum system
Reflecting on the migration crisis of 2015–2016, Ioannides said the European Union had decided to introduce the Migration and Asylum Pact in response to shortcomings in the rules and the pressure faced by frontline states, including Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain.
The pact entered into force in June 2026, according to Ioannides, who said Cyprus’s measures had helped reduce arrivals while increasing returns.
He described migration management as a continuous balancing exercise between the obligation to safeguard human rights and the need to protect states’ interests.
Turkey and maritime law in the Eastern Mediterranean
Ioannides also reviewed key developments in the law of the sea, which forms part of international law.
He said Turkey was not a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea but nevertheless derived rights from it and was bound by obligations under it. He noted that Israel and Libya were also not parties to the convention.
Referring to maritime boundary agreements in the Eastern Mediterranean, Ioannides said Turkey claimed half of the Aegean Sea and the entire Eastern Mediterranean.
He also stressed that Greece and other states did not need to declare an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to exploit their underwater resources. Declaring or extending a maritime zone, he explained, was a separate issue from delimiting it with neighbouring states.
On maritime notices, he said issuing a NAVTEX warning for a disputed area did not diminish another state’s sovereign rights.
Cyprus’s gas reserves and the Great Sea Interconnector
SYNERGIA president Orestis Omran said Cyprus had managed to explore and exploit its natural gas deposits despite the Turkish occupation and threats. He argued that the timely delimitation of maritime zones with neighbouring countries had helped facilitate the development of its resources.
Omran said Cyprus’s deposits had been assessed as commercially exploitable, while the viability of Greek deposits was more uncertain because of their greater depth and the resulting investment costs.
Turning to the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI), the planned electricity cable linking Cyprus and Greece, he described it as a major project facing considerable difficulties. He accused Turkey of repeatedly opposing the project and rejecting customary international law.
He said Cyprus and Greece would maintain their positions on the cable, while also exploring alternative routes and landing points.
Energy dependence leaves Europe vulnerable
Omran argued that the European Union still lacked a unified energy framework and a common foreign policy, with some member states continuing to prioritise national interests.
Europe’s dependence on imported energy left it vulnerable to price increases, he said, adding that rising energy costs could also create opportunities for profiteering and require state intervention.
He stressed that energy production was important for national energy autonomy, but said genuine independence also depended on the ability to store energy.
Omran further argued that Europe should retain the flexibility to temporarily suspend environmental policies during a crisis if necessary to protect consumers from excessive hardship.
Also read: EU adopts new return rules for people without legal right to stay
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