Introduction
Cyprus sits at the south-easternmost edge of the European Union (EU) and is among its smallest member states in both population and territory. Its proximity to regions affected by conflict and political instability has exposed the island to regional crises and migration pressures that are often disproportionate to its size and administrative capacity.
At the same time, Cyprus’ geography also entails a degree of physical isolation from mainland Europe, often requiring it to rely primarily on its own resources while operating within a common EU migration and asylum framework. This structural imbalance shapes both policy implementation and operational responses on the ground. These are not only administrative and policy challenges; when reception and asylum procedures are under strain, it is ultimately the rights and prospects of asylum seekers that bear the cost.
During its EU Presidency, under the motto “An Autonomous Union. Open to the World,” Cyprus places particular emphasis on the Arab and Gulf regions where it seeks to leverage its geopolitical position by acting as a bridge between Brussels and the wider neighbourhood. This approach highlights opportunities for enhanced strategic cooperation, migration management, partnership agreements, and development initiatives.
In this context, MedMA’s Migration & Asylum Data Hub for Cyprus provides researchers, journalists, civil society, policymakers, and the wider public with migration and asylum-related statistics. The hub aims to enhance public awareness and support evidence-based policy discussions in an evolving migration landscape.
The hub is a centralised, structured digital platform that consolidates official, publicly available data from both national and EU sources. Designed to be user-friendly, it presents information in a clear format and highlights trends over time.
The hub currently features the following categories, which MedMA will continue to develop, enhance, and expand:
- Arrivals
- Asylum Applications
- Decisions on Asylum Applications
- Beneficiaries of Protection
- Accompanied, Unaccompanied & Separated Minors
- Residence Permits
- Naturalisation
- Returns
- Employment
We invite readers to navigate the hub, and use it in their research, advocacy and policy work.
Methodological Note: All references to per capita rates, refer to the population residing in the government-controlled areas of Cyprus.
Situating Cyprus and Med5 within EU-27
Before turning to Cyprus’ national profile, it is useful to first situate the country within the broader European context by examining how migration and asylum governance challenges differ and overlap across member states, particularly within the EU-27 as a whole and the Med5 region more specifically.
Why do we focus on the MED5? The MED5 countries (Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Malta) are located along key Mediterranean migration routes and have received a significant share of asylum seekers arriving in the EU in the last decade, making them pivotal for understanding frontline pressures, policy responses, and the implications for a country like Cyprus.
First-time Asylum Applicants 2020-24
Between 2020 and 2024, Europe experienced notable fluctuations in first-time asylum applications lodged across EU Member States. Asylum applications rose significantly from 415,235 in 2020 to over one million in 2023, before declining for the first time in 2024 to 912,425.
In comparison, taken together, the Med5 countries, recorded year-on-year increases between 2021 and 2024. Notably, in 2024, Italy, Spain, and Greece registered their highest numbers of first-time asylum applications during this period. In contrast, Cyprus followed a different pattern: after reaching a peak of 21,590 applications in 2022, the number of applications decreased in the following years, unlike Spain, Italy, and Greece, where applications continued to rise.
First-time Asylum Applicants per 1,000 Persons
In per capita terms, Cyprus has been leading in first-time asylum applications in proportion to its population, compared to both its European (EU-27) and Mediterranean (Med5) counterparts.
In 2020, Cyprus saw 7.95 new applicants per 1,000 inhabitants, eight times the EU bloc average (0.93) and twice as high as the Med5 bloc average (3.67). Cyprus’ first-time applications reached their peak in 2022 with a rate of 23.22 per 1,000 persons, whereas the EU-27 average remained below 2, and the Med5 recorded a three-year high at 6.30. In the years that followed, the per capita rate for Cyprus declined, though it remained well above both EU-27 and Med5 averages through 2024.
However, Cyprus’ experience should be interpreted with caution given its small size, and the notable fluctuations noted year-on-year. Fluctuations signal a high exposure to sudden shifts in migration routes and regional dynamics, which could translate into significant pressures on national reception systems, asylum procedure capacity and integration processes.
To view more data on Arrivals, Asylum Applications and Decisions, visit the Migration & Asylum Data Hub.
Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection 2020-25
Beneficiaries of temporary protection refer to individuals covered by Council Directive 2001/55/EC, which was activated in February 2022 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, enabling EU Member States to grant immediate and collective protection to displaced persons arriving from Ukraine.
As shown below, within the EU-27, Germany is the main host country for beneficiaries of temporary protection, alongside Poland. Together, these two member states account for almost half of all beneficiaries of temporary protection currently residing in the EU as of 2025.
For its part, Cyprus ranks among the lowest in the EU, with approximately 25,580 beneficiaries of temporary protection residing in the country by the end of 2025.
Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection per 1,000 Persons
From a per capita perspective, however, Cyprus ranks differently compared to other EU Member States. As illustrated below, the number of beneficiaries of temporary protection per 1,000 inhabitants in Cyprus increased sharply from 13.56 in 2022 to 25.80 in 2025. This places Cyprus third among EU Member States, behind Czechia (36.03) and Poland (26.56).
Focusing on the Med5 region and considering the proportionality of beneficiaries of temporary protection relative to population size, several key findings emerge.
First, as of 2024, the Med5 hosted 7.49 beneficiaries of temporary protection per 1,000 inhabitants, slightly below the EU-27 average of 9.47. However, given the geographical distance from Ukraine, this rate is relatively high.
Second, throughout the duration of the temporary protection scheme (2022–2025), Cyprus ranks highest within the Med5, with 13.56 beneficiaries per 1,000 inhabitants in 2022, rising to 25.80 by the end of 2025.
Third, Cyprus largely drives the Med5 ratio closer to the EU-27 average. Excluding Cyprus, the rate of beneficiaries of temporary protection in the Med-4 (Greece, Spain, Italy, and Malta) would drop from 8.01 to 3.55 per 1,000 inhabitants for the year 2025.
For additional data and insights for Cyprus, visit the page Beneficiaries of Protection of the Migration & Asylum Data Hub.
Deportation Orders & Returns 2020-24
Currently, in the EU, there is a high divergence between deportation orders issued and actual returns executed.
Deportation orders are a standard instrument at states’ disposal to initiate the return process for third-country nationals who do not have a legal right to remain on their territory.
As shown in the graph below, throughout 2024, the EU-27 block issued 464,985 deportation orders. The same year, 112,040 returns of third-country nationals ordered to leave were completed, a rate of 24.10% in relation to the deportation orders issued the same year.
It should be noted that the number of returns in a given year does not necessarily correspond to the orders issued in the same year.
To better comprehend the actual effect of returns in the EU, it is useful to isolate total returns per year to extract some basic observations.
According to Eurostat data, returns executed at the EU-27 level have significantly increased in the last three years, rising from 72,200 in 2022 to 112,040 in 2024.
Cyprus ranked 10th in 2021 with 2,165 return orders executed, jumping to 4,205 in 2022 when other EU countries recorded a significant drop, presumably due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. For 2024, Cyprus recorded 8,910 returns, the fourth highest number in the EU-27 bloc.
The data in relation to Med5 confirm the EU-wide challenge, with Cyprus being a significant outlier. While the largest states of the block, such as Greece, Spain, and Italy issue a high number of deportation orders, their execution rate is low.
Notably, while Cyprus issued a lower number of deportation orders in 2023 and 2024, it executed a higher number of returns than Greece, Italy, and Spain.
For additional information on returns of third-country nationals, categorisation by type, gender, age, nationality, and country of destination, visit the Returns page on the Migration & Asylum Data Hub.
Conclusion
Migration is high on Cyprus’ EU Council presidency agenda ahead of the official launch of the New Pact on Migration & Asylum in June.
Arguably, the country’s geographical position and small size make it a powerful case study for the broader challenges of EU migration and asylum governance, as this analysis of Med5 and EU-27 data makes clear. While absolute numbers of first-time asylum applications remain modest relative to larger member states, Cyprus’ high per capita rates in asylum applications and temporary protection beneficiaries – coupled with strong returns performance and increased vulnerability to regional developments that can trigger mass displacement – reveal pressures on reception, processing, and integration capacities that call for shared responsibility and solidarity.
Understanding the real scale of such dynamics is crucial for the development of better, sustainable policies, that are both effective for states and fair for the people they affect.
The Migration & Asylum Data Hub for Cyprus is MedMA’s contribution to that effort, designed to equip policymakers, researchers, and civil society to move toward evidence-based solutions.
By highlighting both challenges and opportunities, the Hub supports a more balanced, sustainable migration approach for Cyprus, the Med5, and the EU as a whole.