Mr. Nicolas A. Ioannidis participated in the work of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union which took place June 13 in Luxembourg.
In his remarks before the start of the Council's work, the Deputy Minister welcomed the inclusion of a reference to Cyprus' efforts to fully join the Schengen Area.
He said that the authorities of the Republic of Cyprus are working intensively to fulfill this goal within the coming months. During the Council's work, an exchange of views on the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) took place, during which the Deputy Minister reiterated the commitment of the Republic of Cyprus to take all necessary measures for the full and timely implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. In this context, Mr. Ioannides stressed that operational readiness for the implementation of the Pact will be one of the key priorities of the upcoming Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2026. Over the working lunch, Ministers exchanged views on the issue of returns and readmission of third-country nationals.
In his intervention, the Deputy Minister pointed out the need for the Return Regulation to come into force at the same time as the Pact on Migration and Asylum.
On this topic, he expressed Cyprus' support for strengthening and tightening measures against third countries that refuse to cooperate on the readmission of their nationals, stressing the need for a collective and consistent European stance on this issue.
The Deputy Minister also reiterated Cyprus' position in favour of maintaining flexibility in voluntary returns, so that member states can implement successful programmes tailored to their national needs. The EU must step up its efforts to negotiate readmission agreements with third countries and adopt a comprehensive, strategic approach that covers the entire migration route, he underlined.