By Natalia Hasan
Migration funding benefits Cyprus more than divisive narrative suggests
Let’s take a moment to look beyond the headlines. While some commentary tries to cast migration support as a burden, the real story—one grounded in data—is very different. In fact, migration funding, largely from the EU, has done more than soften the blow of arrivals; it’s bolstered our economy and civic fabric in unexpected ways.
Where does the money come from – and how is it used?
The lion’s share of migration-related funding in Cyprus doesn’t come from our national coffers—it comes straight from Brussels. Under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) for 2021–2027, Cyprus has €59.1 million earmarked for projects covering asylum, integration, legal migration, returns, and administrative support.
Additionally, the European Commission has supported Cyprus’ migration system, not merely with money but with hands-on help. Agencies like Frontex, Europol, and the European Commission Agency for Asylum (EUAA) have been active partners—modernising reception centres, improving screening, and aiding relocations. In fact, €22 million was granted to rebuild the Pournara First Reception Centre—plus €67.7 million is funding new reception and detention infrastructure in Limnes. All of these are EU investments, not domestic giveaways.
What does migration funding do for Cyprus?
Better infrastructure: By upgrading reception centres and border systems, we’re not only handling migration more humanely—we’re building systems that serve citizens more effectively – even though our exiting structures are far from perfect.
Jobs and training: Integration projects often create roles for educators, interpreters, social workers, and civil servants, boosting employment and skill development.
The Human face and the challenges in public debate
The public conversation in Cyprus often threads a common worry: “Are we becoming overwhelmed?” Eurostat tells us there are now around 170,000 non-EU nationals, representing 17.6% of the population, and another 90,000 EU citizens, equating to 9.3%. In addition, by early 2025, over 22,000 Ukrainian refugees were under temporary protection in Cyprus (states Migration and Home Affairs).
This backdrop fuels anxious online discussions—particularly on platforms like Reddit—about integration, ghettoisation, and pressure on social services. One citizen summed it up bluntly: “We have the highest migrant to local people ratio in all of Europe by far… parallel societies… no policy can offset such numbers.”
Facts against fear
EU programmes are already funding integration: Greek lessons, mediation services, workplace tools, and informational hubs like MiHub. These services are vital in creating opportunities for migrants—and for Cypriot communities to adapt more easily. Keeping ones self distant and allowing the widespread stereotypes to build up a fear of integration, only holds us back as communities and create human divides in the name of politics.
Meanwhile, there are very real concerns around migrant wellbeing. A Council of Europe watchdog recently warned of the exploitation of domestic migrant workers in Cyprus—some earning as little as €1.29 an hour and working nearly 60-hour weeks, with deductions for housing and meals severely reducing their net income. These are societal issues that demand attention, not scapegoating.
So why does the narrative persist?
In politics, it’s easier to stoke division than to explain complexity. Yes, funds are being spent on migration—but that doesn’t preclude us from investing in families or other priorities. In fact, EU programmes carefully separate these allocations; voting for one doesn’t eliminate the other.
Redirecting public sentiment by suggesting that supporting migrants automatically means ignoring multi- child families oversimplifies and misleads. It doesn’t spark meaningful conversation—it distracts from it.
At the end of the day
What does this all tell us? That migration funding—rather than being a burden—has helped reinforce Cyprus’ administrative capacity, local economies, and social cohesion. It’s hardly the zero-sum game some would like us to believe. Public statements that link one issue to another, redirecting our attention and creating a link where there isn’t one, should just be a spark of our critical thinking on what is trying to be hidden from the public.
Feature photo source: People’s History Museum
Also read: Support for multi- child families in Cyprus remains limited
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