In Nicosia on February 5, Reuters reported that Cypriot officials stated hundreds of Syrians who had sought refuge in Cyprus during the civil war over a decade ago have been withdrawing their asylum applications since Bashar al-Assad's recent re-election.
Nikolas Ioannides, Cyprus's migration minister, revealed, On average, 40 asylum requests made by Syrians have been withdrawn daily since December 9.
From December 9, 2024, to January 31, 2025, a total of 1,367 Syrians expressed a desire to return to Syria, with 944 withdrawing their asylum applications. Additionally, 423 relinquished their refugee or subsidiary protection status, and 755 have already left Cyprus, Ioannides confirmed.
Located about 160 km (100 miles) west of Lebanon and Syria, Cyprus is the European Union's easternmost state and the closest to the Middle East.
In recent years, thousands of Syrians arrived on the island, predominantly by sea, leading authorities to face challenges in processing asylum applications due to a surge early last year. Subsequently, over the last two years, the number of asylum seekers has declined, partly due to the closure of a loophole through a Turkish-backed state in northern Cyprus previously used by migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.
Officials reported a 69% decrease in asylum applications from 2022 to 2024.