Integration Plan

The National Plan is the final version of the First Edition that was released in September 2020 and was discussed under public consultation.

The final version has incorporated a number of suggestions and comments which came from almost all participants, agencies, organizations, services, NGOs, etc.

From now on, it will be used as a reference document by the state for the integration policy that it follows and the financing of projects and programs of the new programming period 2021 – 2027.

Download the National Plan here.

1. Introduction

1.1 Aims and Objectives

A key requirement of the European Union is to formulate and ensure a long-term and comprehensive migration policy based on solidarity and equal treatment of all migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. In this context, Cyprus, while respecting the EU values and principles, is developing its strategic framework by considering the historical circumstances that have shaped its policy on migration management:

The division of the Island and its close distance with another front-line state, in the unstable region of the Middle East.
Its geographical position, as it has no land borders with other countries
The fact that Cyprus is not a member of the Schengen Area
The growing number of migrant and refugee flows from 2008 and onwards.

Although, to define a strategy that takes into account all parameters such as the importance of the human factor; emphasis should be placed on the conceptual framework and theoretical background of migration. Specifically, migration is a multidimensional phenomenon because it is an outcome of human development and is therefore linked to the political, economic, and behavioural spheres. In broad terms, migration is defined as the permanent or temporary change of place of residence of an individual, a small group, or a wider community. The main causes of migration are:

The search for optimal living conditions and social well-being
Family reunification
Departure from conditions that threating the life and safety of the person or groups being moved, due to war or general conditions of poverty and violence.

Based on the aforementioned, migration policy must avoid the ghettoization and alienation of people with migrant and refugee background, and focus on the conditions that permit the formulation of an environment that takes note of the following:

An expression of solidarity and support toward these populations that would allow them to integrate in the Republic of Cyprus as equal and active members.
The enlargement of the labour market to create jobs for everyone.
The formation of an inclusive integration framework

1.2 Methodology

To formulate a National Action Plan, it was necessary to consider the general EU Integration framework, in terms of the international conventions and agreements that secure and govern the protection of the human rights of the legal TCNs in the Member States. Consideration is also given to the conceptual clarification of definitions related to the integration of migrants and refugees based on the common definitions that have been formulated by the UN and international law. It is based on these regulations and agreements that the different integration frameworks have been formulated to guide the national strategies for the integration of migrants in the European region.

In the light of the foregoing, the National Plan moves to the basic analysis of the existing framework of migration and policy for the protection of the rights of refugees and asylum seekers in the Republic of Cyprus. In this regard, the following will be emphasized:

The shortcomings and problems encountered in the Republic of Cyprus regarding the integration of migrants. It should be noted that the new strategy for the integration of migrants must be formulated in conjunction with UN Charter of Human and the preceding actions that intended to create a comprehensive approach to the integration of migrants.
The strengths and weaknesses of the current strategy for address migration in the Republic of Cyprus.
The policy documents at a global and European level that set the groundwork and shape integration policy.
The European good practices in addressing the migration and refugee issue with the view to draw examples and strategies.
The risks and challenges taking place at international level that affect migration and the refugee phenomenon.
The existing strategic moves of the Republic of Cyprus for the migration and refugees issue.

To achieve this objective, under the National Plan on the Integration of Migrants, the partners proceeded to the analysis of the current situation in the EU and Cyprus, where the legislative framework of the Republic of Cyprus regarding migration policy was examined. At the same time, partners research extended to the projects implemented to date by the Republic of Cyprus to address the flows and the gradual integration of migrants and refuges into the national labour market and cultural setting of Cyprus. The partnership also proceeded to the analysis of interviews with key actors and authorities responsible for the integration of migrants and refugees in the country of residence. Particularly, the interviews concerned the following stakeholders:

European Funds Unit
Civil Registry and Migration Department
Ministry of Labour
Social Welfare Services
Pedagogical Institute
Asylum Service
Aliens and Immigration Unit
Union of Municipalities
Cyprus Ombudsman
Cyprus Workers’ Confederation
Pancyprian Federation of Labour
Employers & Industrialists Federation
Civil Defense Service
International Organisation for Migration

The interviews took place between June-September 2019 to strengthen the partnership’s knowledge of the current situation in the Republic of Cyprus.

In the second stage, focus groups were held where the existing problems and shortcomings at the national level were presented. Also, proposed solutions were incorporated in the actions of the national plan. The focus groups were organized by the partnership, under the guidance of the University of Cyprus in December 2019. A total of 17 focus groups were held. The focus groups were attended by both public bodies, as well as Non-Governmental Organizations and Academic Institutions. Specifically, the participants were:

European and International Bodies:

IOM
Red Cross
High Commissioner for Refugees

Non-Governmental Organizations:

Government Services:

Nursing Services
Medical Services
Department of Secondary Education of the Ministry of Education
Pedagogical Institute of the Ministry of Education
Lifelong Learning Unit of the Ministry of Education
European Funds Unit
Asylum Service
Civil Registry and Migration Department
Cyprus Police
Ministry of Labor
Civil Defence
Kofinou Reception Center
Social Welfare Services
Welfare Benefit Management Services
Foundation for the Management of European Lifelong Learning Programmes

Commissioners:

Commissioner for Administration and Human Rights
Gender Equality Commissioner
Commissioner for Child Protection

Municipalities:

Union of Municipalities
Municipality of Limassol
Municipality of Nicosia
Municipality of Mesa Geitonia

Members of the Advisory Committee:

Asylum Service
Civil defence
Cyprus Police
Commissioner for Administration and Human Rights
Social Welfare Services
Labour Department
Union of Municipalities

Schools and Academic Institutions:

Trade Unions:

Cyprus Workers’ Confederation
Pancyprian Federation of Labour
Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Employers & Industrialists Federation
Democratic Labour Federation of Cyprus

Migration Associations:

Migrant Service Centers in Limassol
Migrant Service Centers in Nicosia
Rimi Hotel at Nicosia

2. Theoretical Framework: Approaches to Migration

2.1 Concepts and Definitions

Migration has been an integral part of the evolution of human societies. It is a multidimensional phenomenon that has deep roots in human history and civilisation. In recent decades, however, migration has morphed into a significant challenge for the western democratic states. The term migration does not signify a change of place of residence or employment, but it rather denotes a complex process that is associated with the following parameters:

How people themselves behave
The relation between individual and society
The host society of the beneficiaries
The social and economic structures of the country of origin

Also, at the theoretical level, the dynamic nature of migration both as a process and as a concept is distinguished between the “internal” (taking place within national borders), and “external” or “international” (taking place outside national borders). It also identifies the contemporary dimension of migration, which mainly concerns the voluntary movements of individuals and populations in industrially developed capitalist societies^[1]. In addition to the above types, new categories of migrants have emerged in recent decades, particularly with the formation of the new international order, with globalisation as the main feature. For instance:

Migration for education and skills
The return and/or repatriation of populations
Social migration for family reunification purposes
Climate-induced migration, which is caused by large-scale environmental disasters
Migration of skilled labour (senior executives, technicians, and scientists), as a consequence of the globalized labour market.

Another parameter that distinguishes the type of migration is the duration the beneficiary’s stay. In this sense, migration is classified as “permanent” or “temporary”. Also, another category is whether the particular migration route is the result of the free will of the individual and therefore can be classified as “involuntary” or “voluntary“. Also, according to the international law, migration can be distinguished as either “legal” or “irregular“. Specifically, the Council Action Plan C142 / 2002 refers to the third-country nationals who illegally enter the sovereign territory of EU states using fraudulent travel documents or without any identification papers. In this context, the EU also declares that the “legal” migrants who overstay their permitted time or change the reason for their stay without obtaining a special permit, must be included in the category of “irregular” migrants. On the other hand, the category of “legal migration” includes third-country nationals legally residing in the EU territory of member states ^[2].

The National Plan on the Integration of Migrants must generate a conceptual framework where it presents the migration and refugee terminology. In this way, it will be linked with the theoretical foundations that will formulate a common line for the integration policy 2020-2030. In this context, a clarification of the following terms would be conducted:

Migrant
Refugee
Asylum seeker
Third-Country National
Integration

The explanation of the above concepts together with the terminology around the issue of migration is necessary as the debates that have taken place in scientific literature, in political discourse and in the journalistic field, stimulate intense reflections, often adopting ideological positions in the analysis of data.Therefore, the National Plan should adopt a clear and distinctive terminology related to the integration process of legal immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees, to avoid broad and one-sided understandings of migration flows.

Based on the above, it can be stated that migration is a multidimensional phenomenon. The complex notion of migration, can be attributed to its strong ties with the evolution of human societies, politics, economics, and culture. The word “Immigrant” is associated with people who reside for at least 6 months away from their usual place of residence ^[3]. In case the immigrant resides outside his/her country of origin, it is categorised as “external or international migrant “. According to the Glossary on Migration, published in 2009 by the International Organization for Migration, the word “migrant” does not have a universally accepted terminology ^[4]. The broad definition of the term migrant is associated with people who leave their country voluntarily in order to settle in another country for personal, family or economic reasons and are therefore called economic migrants

In particular, “the term refers to individuals and family members who relocate to another country or region in search of better resources and social conditions as well as to improve the life expectancy of themselves and their family members.” The current National Plan is concerned with all migrant groups who mainly arrive from third countries and are in a precarious economic and social position, due to poverty and socio-economic inequality. In this sense, the National Plan is not linked to EU citizens exercising their inalienable right of free movement in the European territory, due to family reasons (mobile EU citizens). In the same manner, the current National Plan is not concerned with EU citizens that relocate to the Republic of Cyprus for work-related reasons.

The Migration Policy Institute, based in Washington, defines migration in modern times as “… the movement of populations from one place to another for the purpose of settling there permanently or semi-permanently”^[5]. The awareness of the differences is the spark that fuels the desire of individuals or population groups to move to another geographical place temporarily or permanently, in order to search for a better way of life. On the other hand, the word “refugee” [6] refers to persons who, refers to persons who, because of “well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, social class or political opinion, are outside the country of nationality and are unable or, owing to such fear, unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of that country”.

Another term that needs to be clarified and further developed is “Asylum Seeker “ [7]. According to IOM definition, the term refers to individuals seeking entry into a country as refugees, and are waiting the decision of their application to obtain refugee status under relevant international and national guidelines. In the event of refusal, the individual must leave the country and may even be deported, as they are under illegal status, unless their leave to remain has been granted for humanitarian or other relevant reasons.

With regard to legal “Third-Country Nationals“, under the Council Directive 2003/109 / EC of the Council, in 25 November 2003, they are defined as individuals who are not citizens of the European Union, according to the Article 17 (1) of the Treaty. Under the ΕU [8] and its provisions, this category includes Swiss citizens as well as people from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. However, they are not included in the National Plan, as the legal TCNs of interest are those who are economically and socially disadvantaged and/or are a majority current in the RC (such as possibly persons from Asian and African countries).

Furthermore, in order to formulate a holistic plan for the integration of legal migrants and refugees who meet the criteria, a comprehensive definition of “integration” should be provided. More specifically, the European Commission proposes in a circular that “integration is understood as a two-way process based on the mutual rights and respective obligations of legally resident third-country nationals and the host society, which must provide the conditions for the full participation of the migrant in the process ^[9]. At the same time, integration also encapsulates the concept of ‘cohesion‘, since the social cohesion of a state can be achieved through the integration and inclusion of minorities in the local society ^[10]. In the same context, it is stressed that the term ‘integration‘ can reflect the processes of incomplete or non-participation of part of the whole in the social system and its individual functions as an equal group. The main factors of integration can be divided into two categories ^[11]:

Those relevant to the public life of an individual, such as the level of education and employment of the person
Those related to conditions of equal access to public and social services compared to the native population.

These two factors ensure that migratory flows can be more rapidly integrated into the country of reception and residence. In this respect, the “integration” process is a bottom-up approach that starts at the grassroots level and should be linked to actions that mainly concern access to the welfare state. In order to achieve these objectives, the measures proposed focus on:

Taking concrete actions that strengthen equality and combat discrimination.
Improving access of legal TCNs to the welfare state and its benefits.
Ensuring the existence an environment that protects the human rights of vulnerable groups and all citizens. mproving the legal TCNs access to welfare state benefits.

Based on the above migration categories, the core types of the modern migration phenomenon are:

Foreign Nationals. A person who does not have the nationality of the State in which he/she resides or who does not have the nationality of any State (stateless person).
Economic Migrant. An economic migrant is defined as a person who emigrates in order to improve his/her economic situation.
Third Country National. A third-country national is defined as a citizen of a State who does not have the nationality of a Member State of the European Union.
Second Generation Migrants. A ‘second generation migrant’ is a person who has at least one parent who is a third country national who was either born in Cyprus or has migrated to Cyprus at an early age, resides legally in the country without Cypriot citizenship and has been integrated into the Cypriot education system
Beneficiary(s) of International Protection. According to the United Nations, this applied to anyone who is outside his or her country of origin or place of residence, and is unable to return because:
– Well founded and justified fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, and political beliefs.
-Serious threats to his/her life, physical integrity or freedom resulting from widespread violence or events affecting public order.

[1] Mousourou, M.L. (1991). Migration and immigration policy in Greece and Europe. Publications Gutenberg

[2] Institute for Research & Training in European Affairs. (2014). Aspects of the Migration Issue in the European Union.

[3] Naxaxaxis, C. (2003). Migrants and Migration: Economic, Political and Social Aspects. Pataki Publications.

[4]IOM, Glossary on Migration, p 48, 2009 [Online] Available at: https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/iml_20.pdf

[5] Migration Policy Institute, [Online] Available at: https://www.migrationpolicy.org/

[6] IOM, 2009. Glossary on Migration, [online]. Available at: https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/iml_20.pdf

[7] Ibid

[8] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=470&langId=el

[9] European Commission, 2016. COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS. Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EL/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52016DC0377

[10] Entzinger H.and Biezeveld R. (2003). Benchmarking in Immigration Integration. European Research Centre on Migration and Ethnic Relations.

[11] Bagavos, Ch. , Papadopoulou, D. (2006). Immigration and integration of immigrants in Greek society. Gutenberg Publications – George & Costas Dardanos.

2.2 European legal framework on migration

Historic Overview

The establishment of a legislative framework and a common legislative policy in the European Union is directly linked to the wider social, political conditions that take place in fragmented societies. The western industrialised nations of Europe are faced with the complexity of the social inclusion mechanisms. These include economic globalization, poverty, deteriorating living conditions in large urban centres, the resurgence of racist and xenophobic tendencies, the depoliticization of large parts of the electorate and the rise of multiculturalism.

In view of the above, a comprehensive migration policy must first be reconciled first of all with the principles of solidarity, mutual trust, and responsibility sharing among Member States. Fundamental human rights are a fundamental pillar of immigration policy and the anchor of the legal basis for the social integration of migrants. Specifically, human rights are enshrined in international instruments such as those of the UN:

The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CRMW).
Convention on Migrant Workers (Revised), 1949, No. 97
Convention for Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions), 1975 (No. 143)
Declaration on the Human Rights of Persons who are not nationals of the country of residence

Human Rights are upheld and defended by Council of Europe texts, such as:

European Convention on the Status of Migrant Workers
European Convention on Human Rights

European Social Charter

Historically, the foundations for the movement of citizens at European level were laid as early as 1957 with the Treaty of Rome, which only referred to internal movement of persons. In a second stage, the abolition of internal borders created an ad hoc ‘Migration Group’ and the negotiations on the Schengen Treaty (1985) on the abolition of border controls were launched. More specifically, the Schengen Treaty provided, inter alia, for the development of a common asylum policy for the Member States and the creation of a common information system through which the exchange of data on undesirable third-country nationals would be possible. For countries that are members of an area without internal border controls, this means that ^[1]:

Stop applying border controls at their internal borders (i.e. the border between two Schengen area countries)
Carry out harmonised checks, with precise and defined criteria (i.e. at the border between a State belonging to the Schengen area and a State not belonging to the Schengen area).

Also, certain treaties and agreements are recognised from setting the foundations of a common legal basis for the integration of migrations. Specifically, the EU agreed to the bellow agreements.

The 1951 Geneva Convention, which is the basis for UNHCR’s work, defining who is a refugee, their rights and the legal obligations of states. Its basic principle is non-refoulement, according to which a refugee should not be returned to a country where his or her life is threatened.

Maastricht Treaty, which was signed in 1992 and entered into force in 1993, stressed that asylum and immigration policy issues are important enough for the EU to be effective in the long term. He also underlined the fact that the Union is committed through its common action to creating the framework of a Community territory which will ensure freedom, security and justice for all its citizens.

The Amsterdam Treaty, which was adopted in June 1997 and entered into force in 1999, gave a new impetus to the communitarisation of EU immigration policy. It preserved the existing framework within which the MS and the Community institutions exercise their discretionary powers and competences and proceeded to harmonise immigration policies.

Council in Tampere, Finland, held in 1999, which set out the basic principles of migration policy, namely cooperation with the countries of origin of migrants, the development of a common European asylum system, fair treatment of third country nationals and the management of migration flows. The European Council went on to adopt the decision to broaden the axes of migration policy, including issues relating to human rights.

The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, adopted at the Nice summit in 2000, lists the fundamental rights of European citizens and those legally resident in the EU. The Charter also refers to rights such as human dignity (Article 1) and the prohibition of torture (Article 5). It also refers to the right to asylum (Article 18) and protection in the event of removal or expulsion (Article 19)^[2].

The Hague Programme of 2004, which focused on respect for human rights, with an emphasis on the development of a common European asylum system, as well as a more coordinated management of migration. Also, migration issues are now a foreign policy issue (as opposed to the Maastricht Treaty).

Lisbon Treaty of 2007, which underlines that the EU has the competence to determine the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals legally entering the MS. In this context, MS retain the right to determine the permitted number of third-country nationals entering their territory in search of employment.

European Pact on Migration and Asylum adopted by the Brussels Council in 2008 with the following basic principles:
Organization of legal migration
Combating illegal migration
Strengthing the border control measures and establising the EU as country of asylum

Integration Models

To better comprehend the implications of migration-related policies, a clear distinction must be made between “migration policy” and “immigrant policy. With regard to the former, they refer to the strategies of countries aimed at controlling migratory flows and seeking the causes of their migration. In the second case, “immigration policies” aim at:

Dealing with the impact of the settlement of migrants in the host society.
Strengthening the level of participation of migrants in society.

Both conceptions, however, are inextricably linked to integration policy, which is an integral part of the social policy pursued by the MS. On the basis of the above, differentiated models of integration can be identified, which have evolved over time and formed the core of integration policy.

1. Assimilation Model

It was manly implemented in the 1960s, with the main features being the “absence of national characteristics” of migrant groups and the full acceptance of the cultural standards of the host society ^[3]. At the same time, the assimilation model is divided into the following categories^[4]:

Classical Assimilation: Refers to a gradual process of adaptation and absorption of the migrant into the host society. This theory focuses on the working assumption that groups over time become integrated with the native population both in terms of their cultural characteristics and in terms of the adoption of their values and behaviours.
Partial assimilation: The second technique focuses on the integration process as an integral part of freedom of choice. During the integration process, several individuals may follow a different path from the society as a whole, based on their existing experiences and their existing socio-economic situation.
Racial / Ethnic assimilation: This approach underlines the fact that increasing knowledge of the language of the host and residence country does not necessarily lead to complete familiarity with its culture and customs, nor does it improve one’s social position.

2. Multicultural Model

In contrast to the concept of the “assimilationist” model, this view distinguishes the existence of a two-way process in which “legal TCNs” and the host society adapt their personal characteristics as a result of the interaction relationship with the host country. Culture is a way of categorising people according to their differences in terms of beliefs, practices and habits. By adopting a multicultural mode of integration, the right to multicultural difference is developed. In this context, there is an urgent need to develop a pluralism that offers self-respect and appreciation of differences ^[5].

3. Differential exclusion model

This model dominated in Europe, as a combination of the multicultural and assimilationist model from 1980 onwards. This approach gives priority to the labour market while protecting migrant populations through the provision of social rights, excluding them from citizenship ^[6]. The status of migrants as non-familiar individuals in the host society and their difference is based and justified under this approach on their external characteristics and living conditions ^[7]. Consequently, the rejection of migrants stems from the cultivation of exclusion, which is defined as ‘the forcible removal of a group from the mainstream of society’.

Financial Intruments

During the migration crisis that erupted in 2015, the European Union significantly increased its funding for migration, asylum and integration policies due to the increased influx of asylum seekers. The sharp increase in the number of asylum seekers has created significant challenges at the political level, in border control, as well as in economic conditions in many EU countries, and has necessitated changes in national and European policies, institutions and instruments related to migration. In response to these challenges, the EU has increased its funding for migration-related issues and the management of refugee flows and asylum seekers. Based on the above, we list the following financial instruments:

Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF)

In order to contribute to the development of a common European policy on asylum and migration and to the strengthening of the area of freedom, security and justice in the light of the application of the principles of solidarity and responsibility sharing between Member States and cooperation with third countries, the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) was created. The objective of the Fund is to support actions contributing to the effective management of migration flows and to the implementation, strengthening and development of a common approach of the Union in the field of asylum and migration. The sub-objectives of the AMIF are ^[8]:

Strengthening and developing the Common European Asylum System (CEAS)
Support legal immigration to the Member States according to their economic and social needs and promoting the effective integration of third-country nationals.
Strengthening the fair and effective return strategies to tackle irregular migration.
Increasing solidarity and sharing of responsibilities between Member States, with particular emphasis on most Member States affected by migration and asylum flows.

The Asylum, Immigration and Integration Fund (AMIF) is one of the financial instruments of the European Union, which was created for the programming period of 2014-2020, with a total amount of 3.137 billion euros for a total of seven years period.

2. Emergency Humanitarian aid

The European Commission can fund emergency support actions to respond to disasters of exceptional scale within the European Union. This funding has been carried out under Council Regulation (EU) 2016/369 since March 2016. The Emergency Support Mechanism can be activated in response to other crises or disasters with serious consequences for humanity, such as nuclear accidents, terrorist attacks and epidemics. The provision of such assistance is decided collectively by the Member States within the European Council. Emergency humanitarian aid can be provided, in close coordination with EU Member States, to the most vulnerable victims of disasters through projects carried out on the ground by EU humanitarian partner organisations ^[9].

The objectives of this funding instrument are:

Food aid
Shelter / housing
Health care, including psychosocial support
Water, sanitation, and hygiene
Protection
Educational services adapted to the emergency situation.

The first use of this finanicial instrument took place on March 16, 2016 for the current influx of refugees and migrants in the European Union. It was proposed to allocate a total of 700 million euros in different installments between 2016 and 2018.

3. Internal Security Fund (ISF)

The Internal Security Fund (ISF) was created for the period 2014-2020, with a total amount of €3.8 billion for a total of seven years. The Fund has as its central objective the implementation of the Internal Security Strategy, law enforcement cooperation and risk management at the external borders of the Union. The Internal Security Fund consists of two sub-funds ^[10]:

Internal Security Fund – Police

The main purpose of the Internal Security Fund – Police Cooperation Section is to ensure a high level of security in the EU. In the context of this general objective, its activities relate to achieving the fight against cross-border and organised crime, including terrorism, as well as strengthening coordination and cooperation between law enforcement authorities and other national authorities of EU Member States, including EUROPOL and other relevant EU bodies. At the same time, the objective of this subtitle is to manage risks and crises by strengthening the capacity of Member States and the Union to effectively manage security-related risks and crises and to prepare for the protection of people and critical infrastructure from terrorist attacks and other security-related incidents.

Internal Security Fund – Borders and Visa

The program’s main objective is to contribute to ensuring a high level of security in the Union while facilitating legitimate travel. This goal is achieved with the support of the Internal Security Fund – Border Sector & Visas in actions aimed at achieving the following specific objectives ^[11]:

Visa: The effective processing of Schengen visas by supporting a common visa policy which aims at facilitating legitimate travel to the EU, providing a high quality of service to visa applicants, ensuring equal treatment of non-EU nationals.

Borders: achieving a uniform and high level of control of the external borders by supporting integrated borders management, harmonising border management measures within the Union.

For the 2014-20 period, €2,76 billion is available for funding actions under the ISF Borders and Visa instrument.

4. European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

The ERDF focuses its investments on several key priority areas:

Innovation and Research
Digital Agenda
Support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
The Low-Carbon economy

The ERDF resources allocated to these priorities will depend on the category of region. In more developed regions, at least 80 % of funds must focus on at least two of these priorities. As for the new programming period 2021-2027, this fund has been proposed to focus on [12]:

Improve the labour market and access to employment opportunities
Employment through the development of social innovation and infrastructure.
Enhance access to inclusive and quality services in education, training and lifelong learning through infrastructure development.
Minimize the social exclusion of vulnerable groups
The support migrants access to Social Welfare Services.

[1] European Commission, 2016. Europe without borders: The Schengen area. [online] Available at: http://publications.europa.eu/resource/cellar/09fcf41f-ffc4-472a-a573-b46f0b34119e.0021.01/DOC_1

[2] EUR-Lex, (2016). Charter of fundamental rights. [online] Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EL/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM%3Al33501

[3] Pavlou, X . (2015). Intercultural discourse in educational policy in Greece, Great Britain, Denmark. Comparative Approach. Dissertation. University of the Aegean. ¹⁵ Goutika, S. (2011).The issue of immigrant integration in modern democracies: the case of Greece. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

[4] Berry, J. W. (1997), Immigration, Acculturation and Adaptation, “Applied Psychology An International Review, vol. 46, pp 5-34. And Berry, J.W & Sam, D. L. (1996), Acculturation and Adaptation in Berry. In J. W. et. al (ed.), Handbook of Cross-cultural psychology: Social Behavior and Applications, Boston MA: Allyn and Bacon

[6] Goutika, S. (2011). “The issue of immigrant integration in modern democracies: the case of Greece”. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

[7] Sole, C. (2204). Immigration Policies in Southern Europe. Journal of Ethnic Migration Studies, Vol.30, No 6, 1209-1221

[8] European Commission, Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), [online], Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/financing/fundings/migration-asylum-borders/asylum-migration-integration-fund_en

[9] EUROPEAN CIVIL PROTECTION AND HUMANITARIAN AID OPERATIONS, Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/echo/what-we-do/humanitarian-aid/emergency-support-within-eu_en

[10] Internal Security Fund – Police, [Online] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/financing/fundings/security-and-safeguarding-liberties/internal-security-fund-police_en

[11] Internal Security Fund- Borders and Visa, [Online] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/financing/fundings/security-and-safeguarding-liberties/internal-security-fund-borders_en

[12] RESOMA, 2020. Making the most EU Funds to support a comprehensive approach to migrant integration. [online]. Available at: https://www.migpolgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/POB-Comprehensive-Integration.pdf

3. Analysis of the current EU and Republic of Cyprus integration framework

3.1 Migration flows to the EU and the new financial period

The possibility of a new escalation of migration flows in the EU, changed the funding data, resulting in a new, more holistic effort to reflect the needs of the new programming period. More specifically, the new period 2021-2027 emphasizes that the migration circuit will be divided into two levels, in order to have a more holistic approach to the immigration issue. Thus, it is true that at the first level the Asylum, Immigration and Integration Fund takes a major role, in immigration reception centres.

[1] Available at: there

3.2 Introductory Remarks

To configure intervention axes, the migration and refugee flows in the Republic of Cyprus were analyzed. The degree of integration into the local Cypriot society was also studied via statistics focused on the following subjects:

The employment of immigrants and other groups in the country of residence.
The measurement of the growth rate of immigrants in the country of residence [1]
Their satisfaction with their employment
The degree of healthcare coverage
The degree of housing coverage

The analysis of the statistical information will provide further information on the shortcomings identified in the Republic of Cyprus, in order to form a common reference framework, which will explain at a technical level the necessity of actions and specific sub-projects. For the presentation and investigation of the statistical data in RC, mainly the data of the Public Services were taken into account, as well as the research of the High Commission in collaboration with the University of Cyprus[2]. The research concerned with the population’s perceptions about refugees and migrants. Despite the fact that the pre-existing prejudice and attitudes towards these groups had been improved at the end of 2018 compared to 2015, in the midst of the economic crisis, the systematic cultivation of xenophobia due to the number of immigrants had already begun to appear in the public debate in Cyprus. At the same time, data from the 2018 research of the University of Nicosia were used, as it referred to the lifestyle of the target groups[3].

[1] Below is the definition

[2] UNCHR Cyprus. (2019). “What are Cypriots’ perceptions about refugees and migrants? Survey results presented today”. Available at: https://www.unhcr.org/cy/2019/03/08/what-are-cypriots-perceptions-about-refugees-and-migrants/

[3] Living Conditions of Asylum Seekers Report, University Of Nicosia, Published by UNCHR in 2018

3.3 Human Development Index (HDI) in the Republic of Cyprus

To monitor the level of well-being of migrants in the RC, the Human Development Index (HDI) is the statistical index used to rank countries on the basis of “human development” and is constructed based on three sub-indicators related to life expectancy, level of education, and quality of life. Based on HDI, a state can be described as underdeveloped and developing. HDI measures a country’s achievements in the three key components of human development:

A long and healthy life, as characterized by life expectancy at birth
Knowledge and education, as characterized by the illiteracy rate and the expected level of education.
A decent quality of life, as characterized by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita and equal purchasing.

Each year, UN members are registered in a list of countries based on the Human Development Index in the United Nations Human Development Reports. According to the above report, published in 2019 and created based on estimates for the year 2018, Cyprus reached 0.873, 31st place compared to the other 189 countries [1]. Based on these measurements, Cyprus ranks in very high human development, taking a position among the developed countries

Nevertheless, the above data refer to the general population of Cyprus, without any special reference to the situation of immigrants. At the same time, there is a lack of detailed data regarding the quality of life of immigrants in Cyprus in terms of GDP and equal purchasing power but also a great difficulty to calculate the life expectancy of a group of people from different countries with different life expectancy each. Even if we attempted something like this, we would have to take into account the data not only of the year they were born but also of their place of departure and take into account the whole route they followed until they ended up in Cyprus, as life expectancy varies from country to country, and from region to region.

[1] Inequalities in Human Development in the 21^st Century, [Online]. Available at: http://hdr.undp.org/sites/all/themes/hdr_theme/country-notes/CYP.pdf

3.4 Intepretation of migration trends in the RC

According to the latest EUROSTAT data [1], migration flows to the RC have increased from 2014 onwards. It is interesting to note that high rates of migratory flows to the RC occurred in early 2000, when there was strong economic and social development of the state and a large number of potential labor force migrated to Cyprus to find employment.

Low rates are observed after the adoption of the National Action Plan in 2010-2012, mainly due to the economic crisis that prevailed in the Southern EU at that time, making Cyprus a less attractive place to settle. Following the outbreak of the refugee crisis in 2015, as well as the general rise of migration flows in the EU, the issue of addressing the increased flows in the KD began to intensify. Arriving in 2018, Cyprus reaches its highest percentage so far, 23,442 people in absolute terms, which highlights the immediate need to resolve the issue, as shown in Figure 2: Gender migration flows in the Republic of Cyprus

Regarding asylum seekers, we use the available data of the Asylum Service for 2019[2], where it is observed that there is a large part of the applicants whose cases are pending, while a relatively small part of negative decisions (2053). In the Figure 3: Statistical data of Asylum seekers 2019 it is observed that the majority of the data are concerned with pending cases.

At the same time, we are interested in exploring the countries of origin of asylum seekers because of the possible heterogeneity, which will affect the actions to the information system that would be established. In the Figure 4: Countries of origin of Asylum Seekers 2019 we observe that the majority come from Pakistan, Cameroon and Syria.

More specifically, based on the latest data from the Civil Registry and Migration Department for 2019 (Table 1: License data) it is shown that the single permit was granted under Article 15 of EU Directive 2011/98, we observe that the first permit of 6 to 12 months is the most common leave and is usually done for reasons related to the education.

Type of permit	Length of validity		Main Reason
Type of permit	Length of validity	Total	Family	Education	Occupation	Other
First Permit	Total	15222	368	4341	10505	8
	3 –< 6 months	2703	67	822	1814	0
	6 –< 12 months	6264	197	3507	2554	6
	>12 months	6255	104	12	6137	2
Renewed	Total	18475	1380	4146	12899	50
	3 –< 6 months	970	46	201	721	2
	6 –< 12 months	8307	771	3865	3630	41
	>12 months	9198	563	80	8548	7

The second level is concerned with the employment of individuals, and in the third level with family reunification. As regard the permit that is given between 3 to 6 months, it is observed that it is given to people looking for employment than education. In the case of renewal of permits , it is observed that is granted to individuals who can justify it their reasons of stay due to employment.

It is then observed that over time not only do flows increase but there are relatively similar levels of migration for men and women. This means that policies must not exclude women from the labour market[3]. Specifically, we will proceed to the analysis of migration flows based on age groups and gender which need to be absorbed directly by the RC, as a potential workforce[4]:

I. Age group 15-17 years old

As observed in Figure 5 Migration flows by gender and age (15-17 years in 2018) in 2018, in the Republic of Cyprus the majority age group is between the ages of 17 years. Very interesting is the fact that a huge portion of the people are women creating the need to form certain action to accommodate their integration in the Cypriot society. At the same time, the percentage of these ages is generally quite high, a fact that highlights the formation of actions in the context of strengthening the intercultural identity of schools and after higher education.

More specifically, women constitute:

The 134 being 15 years old
The 181 being 16 years old
The 108 being 17 years old

II. Age group 20-24 years old

The same phenomenon is observed in the age group of 20-24 years where women are more based on Figure 6: Migration flows by gender (20-24 years in 2018). It is observed that:

415 women aged 20 are identified in 2018
473 women aged 21 are identified in 2018
517 women aged 22 are identified in 2018
541 women aged 23 are identified
548 women aged 24 are identified

We should also emphasize the fact that the 24-year-old age group is the most populous. On this basis, emphasis should be placed on the employment of these age group.

III. Age group 30-35 years old

The third age group that will study concerns the third working age of 31-35 years migrants (legal) based on the Figure 7: Migration flows by gender (30-35 years in 2018). More specifically, the majority was 30 years old according to statistical data, while the second prevailing age is 31.

[1] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&language=en&pcode=tps00176&plugin=1

[2] Statistics, available at: http://www.moi.gov.cy/moi/asylum/asylumservice.nsf/asylumservice18_gr/asylumservice18_gr?OpenDocument

[3] Available at: https://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/submitViewTableAction.do

[4] The most up-to-date EU statistics are used until they are officially updated

3.5 Groth Factors

Employment Status

In the labour sector, migration flows can bring both benefits and costs. For the destination country, the unexpected influx of people who are a potential addition to the country’s labour force will gradually and to some extent lead to a change in the composition and size of the country’s labour market and will undoubtedly affect not only wages but also employment opportunities in that country.

For migrants themselves, a climate of uncertainty and anxiety is created as the chances of being driven into unemployment are always high. On the other hand, domestic workers – especially low-skilled workers – may face increased competition from an ever-increasing number of low-skilled migrant workers who wish to work away from their countries of origin for significantly lower wages.

Asylum seekers often have qualifications, skills, and relevant work experience that can benefit the local community and the wider economy. By gaining an opportunity to access the labour market, their own well-being and self-sufficiency is also restored. The right to work and related rights such as equal pay and decent living conditions are fundamental human rights based on international legal frameworks[1].

However, according to the University of Nicosia’s 2018 survey [2] the vast majority of asylum seekers (88.3%) did not have a job, while only 11.7% had access to the labour market. In Figure 8: Level of satisfaction with the Labour Office, concludes that participants face serious difficulties in entering the labour market and consequently many remain unemployed and rely for their livelihood on the support they receive from the Social Welfare Service (WSS). Such support is insufficient, however, and the asylum seekers interviewed expressed their views on the difficulties they face in securing their livelihoods. These issues can be mitigated by taking measures to raise their educational profile.

The same study highlighted the most prevalent occupational sectors for migrants for 2018-2019. These were:

Agricultural Production (25.6%)
Cleaning Services (47.2%)
Office Work (5.6%)
Car Cleaning (8.3%)
Petrol Station Attendant (11.1%)

Having said that, the same research highlighted the social employability gaps between men and women. Indicatively, in the agricultural production sector, the percentage of women who responded that they were employed was only 7.1% compared to 36.4% for men. Also, in the jobs involving office work, it is observed in the survey that only men were employed at that time and participated in the survey.

Furthermore, based on the above, we draw the following conclusions regarding the difficulties encountered by migrants in accessing the Labour Office in 2018 [3]:

The outright majority of the migrants interviewed (55%) said that they had problems communicating with officials in terms of language
More than 50% of the respondents said that they had experienced some procedural difficulties when filling in the application form
Over 50% of the survey respondents said that they had experienced a problem waiting for a reply on whether or not they were entitled to a work permit
About 30% of the migrants interviewed said that the employees of the Labour Office were not available to assist them.

The results of the survey conducted by UNHCR in cooperation with the University of Cyprus in 2019 should also be added to the labour sector [4]. In particular, as far as work is concerned, it was stressed that it is important not only because it provides the necessary means of subsistence through a salary, but also because it is an activity that contributes positively to the self-esteem and self-image of the individual. Work helps people to feel useful, that they are part of society and that they contribute to it. Work as a social space allows individuals to come together and form friendships that extend beyond working hours. So as far as the issue of labour is concerned, the proper assessment of the qualifications and competences of new entrants and the mapping of the skills and competences of the existing ones, combined with the mapping of the labour market needs, would contribute to a better channelling and integration in the labour market.

Moreover, it was stressed that it is necessary to make a stronger effort to inform employers on issues related to the employment of migrants/refugees and to provide continuous and constant information to the employment offices in order to constantly renew the available jobs.

Furthermore, when proposing jobs to individuals, more consideration should be given to elements such as the place of residence and the location of the intended workplace as well as the personal circumstances of the individuals. For example, it was reported that an asylum seeker had been offered a job in Limassol while residing in Nicosia with his family.

Based on the above, it should also be investigated whether the Republic of Cyprus needs the above specialisations and professions in 2020 and beyond. Taking into account the Cyprus Human Resources Development Authority(HRDA)[5] research, the main sectors foreseen to require increase in human resources are the following:

Network and computer systems technicians (40 persons according to the Labour Department)
Hotel receptionists (25 persons according to the Labour Department)
Cooks (1.005 persons according to the Labour Department)
Cooks for Arabic cuisine (627 persons according to the Labour Department)
Bakers (268 persons according to the Labour Department)
Hotel maids (142 persons according to the Labour Department)
Carers in nursing homes, social institutions and homes (141 persons according to the Labour Department)
Builders (70 persons according to the Labour Department)
Welders (135 persons according to the Labour Department)
Butchers (118 persons according to the Labour Department).

At the same time, the updated EUROSTAT data were used, where the unemployment rate of migrant Third Country Nationals was found to have decreased in 2018 and 2019. In Figure 9: Unemployment rate of migrants in Cyprus this positive outcome is mainly due to the good results of the projects related to the integration of migrants in the RC. Also, several of them were used in sectors that needed human resources directly. However, it is still high in comparison with other EU countries[6].

On the grounds of the above, there is a need to enrich these sectors of labour market with human resources of migrant origin, covering positions that are not the first choice of the native inhabitants.

Closely related to the labour sector is also the average income and satisfaction of needs index. The average monthly income of the participants in the University of Nicosia survey was about 386,59€. According to the results in Figure 5, a large number of participants (75.6%) cannot fulfill their needs and are in a very difficult financial situation.

Educational Background

Unaccompanied minor asylum seekers are a major stepping stone for policy making in favour of the protection and development of migrants. In this regard, we take into account the research of the High Commission in cooperation with the University of Cyprus [7], where education was mentioned as one of the most important factors for inclusion. Regarding education and the way it is managed for people with a migrant background, several problems have been observed that need reform to harmonise with an overall integration plan. These range from the terminology used in official documents (still sporadic use of the term “foreigner”), educational materials, practices, intervention programmes, coordination with other ministries, to the general orientation of educational policy and the content of curricula. The investigation also highlighted trends of marginalisation, neglect and ghettoisation, either in specific schools in an educational region or even within the school itself, where class segregation based on performance or origin has been observed. It was also observed, that a a large number of teachers have a great lack of understanding of the various diversity management approaches and their practical application historically in different countries of the world with the resulting debates, reflections and outcomes.

According to a plethora of socio-psychological, developmental and educational publications, the central policy of this approach should be the diomadic contact between native pupils and children with migrant backgrounds under conditions that maximise the positive effects of interaction in terms of reducing prejudice and building cooperative relationships on the basis of equal status.

Another key feature is the involvement of parents in the school experience and the assumption of responsibility in order to value the educational process by the whole family unit and to create positive norms towards learning.

Good practices of anti-racist policy and management of bullying incidents are currently observed in various schools (circulars, management guides) but there is a gap in the understanding of the phenomenon of transnational bullying and its specific characteristics beyond the usual management of bullying incidents.

In the Figure 10: Coverage of needs based on monthly income in Cyprus , shows that in 2016 alone, 221 unaccompanied minors from Syria, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries applied for asylum and another 109 in 2017. Under Cyprus’ 2000 asylum legislation, it is specified that all asylum-seeking children have access to education under the same conditions as Cypriot citizens[8].

In addition, the school enrolment of children seeking asylum must start no later than three months from the date of the asylum application. While the country has achieved a very low school drop-out rate for Cypriot pupils (4.6%), for children with a migration background this rate reaches 18.2%.[9]Since there is a noticeable difference between the percentages and in order to gradually eliminate the above phenomenon, the action plan for social and school integration that supports children from vulnerable groups at all levels of education has been extended to 96 schools (Kindergartens, Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, High Schools, Technical Schools) and now covers 15% of the school population[10].

Subsequently, based on the analysis of the current situation of the Republic of Cyprus in terms of educational welfare, it was observed that in 2018, 7,765 new asylum applications were filed, significantly more than in 2017 (4,600), including 1,090 applications from persons under 1810. Migrants need to be supported through training for teachers and school heads in particular. The survey reveals that only around 48.5% of teachers feel well- or very well-prepared to teach migrants, refugees and asylum seekers[11].

Specifically, since 2015, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports has implemented the following programme called “School and Social Inclusion Actions”, which is aimed at ensuring the well-being and financial support of the most vulnerable pupils (including migrants) and strengthening social cohesion, reducing the risk of social marginalisation and exclusion by improving learning outcomes and reducing school failure, delinquency and dropout rates.

Among others, the following are offered:

Free supplementary teaching and creative work programmes for students and parents.
Additional psychosocial support services for students and parents, through the establishment and operation of Information and Psychosocial Support Centres.
Supportive/technological equipment in schools.

Meanwhile, in 2016, an action plan for the education of migrant children was developed based on recommendations from the EU’s SIRIUS24 network, which aims to coordinate individual actions by schools and create a unified education policy for the integration of migrant children (including refugee children).

Five priorities underpin the actions and programmes in this area:

Learning the Greek language
Reception of newly arrived immigrant children
Facilitate teacher training and continuous professional development
Collection and analysis of data on the needs of pupils from immigrant families
Intercultural approach through new curriculum

Drawing on the 2018 EU survey 2018[12] on education and training in Cyprus, it is clear that a large number of adult asylum seekers have faced and continue to face vital communication difficulties and language barriers upon arrival in the country. The majority of survey participants (57%) were aware of available Greek language courses while a significant proportion (43%) were not aware that such courses were available. Of those participants who were aware of available Greek language courses, the vast majority (61%) had never attended any of them, while 39% of respondents had had the opportunity to participate in such classes.

While some participants have had the opportunity to attend Greek language courses, the majority of them reported that their level of Greek has not improved. A significant number even rated their level of Greek as very poor. Only a very small percentage (5%) of the participants have acquired a good knowledge of the Greek language.

In this section, we will use the updated EUROSTAT data to analyse the education level of the foreign population in the Republic of Cyprus [13]. From the analysis of Figure 11: Level of education of the foreign population in the RC (aged 20-64 years) the following interesting data emerge:

Most immigrants and foreign citizens have basic education, with little fluctuation being observed over these 5 years.
Most migrants and other target groups are at low rates of attaining or completing secondary education. This fact highlights the need to strengthen schools not only with more qualified staff, but more importantly with the reformulation of a new vision, which will permeate horizontally and vertically the entire educational path of children, and, in turn, citizens of the Republic of Cyprus
Higher education rates are at fairly high levels, as most of them, as EUROSTAT underlines, are people who enter the country as students who can cope with the expenses.

Level of Healthcare

Responding to the health needs of migrants, with an emphasis on vulnerable people, is an integral part of integrating migrants into society. Migrants, regardless of their residence status, are protected either on the basis of binding international and European conventions or on the basis of constitutional provisions on human dignity and worth. Anyone in Cyprus is entitled to basic medical care and treatment as the minimum protection to which every resident of Cyprus is entitled, regardless of their residence status. However, even today, services for asylum seekers still focus only on vaccinations and infectious diseases.

Several obstacles were also identified, including:

Insufficient availability of information, especially for newly arrived asylum seekers who are not familiar with the healthcare system in Cyprus and the treatments they have free access to
Inadequate support in interpretation and translation for people with limited knowledge of English or Greek
Lack of access to public transport for applicants, which prevents them from accessing healthcare
Limited number of doctors and shortage of nurses
Absence of professional cultural mediators, which poses serious obstacles to the proper response to the health needs of migrants

In the light of the above and in the context of the survey by the University of Nicosia [14], we can observe in the following figure how migrants’ views on their health have been shaped, with almost 40% of them considering their health to be satisfactory. Of the above sample, 53.2% have used health services, 43.4% have never used them, while there is a percentage of almost 3.5% who have not been made aware of health services and the programs and welfare that are provided.

Participants’ satisfaction with the medical care they received while being hospitalised has also been assessed. As this survey indicated, about one in three were not satisfied with the medical care they received while hospitalized and only a negligible proportion showed high satisfaction.

Lastly, looking at Figure 12: Migrants’ views on their health ,it appears that communication is a major challenge when participants interact with health professionals. A notable proportion of participants (70.5%) identified language issues as a major difficulty. Therefore, we can confirm that the lack of interpretation services in hospitals creates significant obstacles during the service delivery process, especially when it comes to the usage of medical terminology[15].

Housing

The Reception Centre in Kofinou is the only reception facility for asylum seekers in Cyprus and was established in 2004. It consists of prefabricated rooms to accommodate 2 to 4 persons. Residents often complain about the sanitary conditions of the Centre, lack of staff, space, insufficient hot water supply, and other shortcomings. Despite all the difficulties, asylum seekers tend to stay too long at the Reception Centre because they cannot afford to live independently in private accommodation. This leads to prolonged isolation from the local community. The temporary Reception Centre in Kofinou is not an attractive option among the available housing as the majority of beneficiaries chose to stay there after having exhausted all other viable options [16].

Another important finding from the same 2018 survey is the length of stay of asylum seekers at the Centre. Half of the participants (50.5%) responded that they had stayed at the Temporary Reception Centre for one year or more. 19% stated that they had resided there between 6 and 12 months and 30.5% of the sample responded 1 to 6 months. The above results come to challenge the concept of temporary residence and raise questions about the procedures and internal regulations regarding the length of stay at the Centre[17].

In the case where migrants choose to live outside the Kofinou Reception Centre under the Figure 13: Areas chosen by migrants in Cyprus, it creates further hurdles, such as financial burdens and dependence on welfare benefits. On the contrary, housing in a city can have a significant impact on the ability of asylum seekers to integrate with the locals. Asylum seekers therefore often have to choose to live in areas where housing is of poor quality or in small and overcrowded dwellings as this is all they can afford.

As a result, the majority of the sample (64.4%) expressed dissatisfaction with their living conditions. Furthermore, it was found that on average three people share a two-room house. A smaller proportion of the sample reported that Social Services pay their rent[18]. In the following Figure 14: Assistance in finding accommodation, it is observed that most participants (60.5%) asked for help in finding housing, while only one third (39.5%) managed to secure accommodation on their own. The vast majority of participants (92.5%) responded that they had turned to friends and NGOs for help to secure housing, and only 7.5% said that Social Welfare Services had helped, as factors such as the huge workload and lack of sufficient resources prevented them from being effective [19].

Social Inclusion

The Migration Policy Index-MIPEX is a unique tool that measures migrant integration policies in all EU Member States, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey, South Korea, Switzerland and the USA[20].

Some 167 individual policy indicators have been developed to create a multi-dimensional picture of migrants’ opportunities to participate in society. The MIPEX is a useful tool for assessing and comparing governments’ efforts to promote immigrant integration in all the countries analysed, and thanks to the relevance and rigour of the individual indicators, MIPEX has been recognised as a common quick reference guide across Europe. Policy makers, NGOs, researchers and European and international institutions use their data not only to understand and compare national integration policies but also to improve standards for equal[21].

In accordance with this Index, access to health, employment, education, and permanent housing, which are analysed in this chapter, are individual indicators of development for a country. In addition, and according to MIPEX, a factor of development for migrants is also the final acquisition of citizenship, which is the reason why it will be analysed below.

Finally, we cannot overlook the conditions of social acceptance and recognition of migrants’ rights in order to reach conclusions on whether or not integration has been achieved.

It is an undeniable fact that migrants often face racial discrimination and social exclusion when trying to settle in another country and most of the time their rights, which are not made known to them in the first place, are violated.

According to a study conducted by the University of Nicosia [22] it is disappointing that migrants receive no information about their legal rights and obligations when they arrive in Cyprus and are therefore not familiar with them. Looking at the Figure 15 Information from the Public Service regarding the rights on arrival of Migrants in it can be seen that the majority of respondents (65%) said that they had not been informed of their legal rights by any public service. Conversely, only 35% received information on this issue .

Furthermore, the results of the survey showed that most of the migrants who finally received information got the necessary details from an NGO, 31.3% received information from their friends while 15.2% contacted UNHCR. Specifically, in Figure 16: Human Rights Information Agencies there is an information gap, which is a fact that should be taken into account for the construction of the actions and sub-projects below.

We can observe from all the foregoing figures, the absence of government institutions and public services regarding the provision of information and updates to arriving migrants on their legal rights and obligations, which showcases the need for action in this crucial area.

At this stage, the emotions, ideas, the thoughts of migrants, their encounter with the native population, and the opportunities they have to interact with the Cypriot people should be examined. Based on the research of UNHCR and the University of Cyprus [23] a tendency is observed to refer to the terms “refugees” and “migrants” as if they were a standardised expression that does not allow for any differentiation. The differentiations that exist between these terms relate not only to country of origin, nationality, religion or colour, but also to the extent to which these individuals are economic migrants or war refugees, if they have a family with many children, if they are single parents or single, whether they have had previous traumatic experiences, if they are elderly, young or unaccompanied minors.

The status of these persons (recognised refugees, asylum seekers) needs further distinction. By extension, the relevant government services should become more responsive, with an emphasis on a person-centred approach, so that they can recognise the different individual needs of people and give priority to those who need the most support. The need to differentiate the approach to the needs of these individuals has also been mentioned in the groups held with local participants.

According to the findings of the 2018 survey conducted and presented by the University of Nicosia in the Report on Living Conditions of Migrants, 36% of participants felt that they had been accepted in society and 38% had moderate feelings of acceptance. However, a significant proportion (25%) of participants, as shown in Figure 17: Degree of acceptance by the local community, which constitutes a quarter of the participants from the survey sample, did not share the same favourable feelings [24].

Regarding the social interaction of migrants as shown in Figure 18: Making friends with the same migration background και του and Figure 19: Making Cypriot friends, when asked if they have more friends from the same place of origin, the majority (77%) of the survey population answered ‘Yes’, while only 23% answered ‘No’.

Indeed, a negative impression is made by the fact that when they were asked if they have any Cypriot friends, it was revealed that the vast majority (63.7%) do not have even one [25]. As for the area of social inclusion, it was also observed based on the UNHCR and the University of Cyprus [26] , survey that several migrants/refugee groups that participated reported experiencing racism and discriminatory attitudes from state officials.

Employee training is essential to help them recognise racist and discriminatory behaviours and to help implement a person-centred model of inclusion. Public information campaigns should also be strengthened.

Good Practices for the integration of legal TCNs in the country of residence

Since 2005, the European Commission has defined good practices based on the following criteria:

Having presented some examples of what is Good Practice in a European context and relevant approaches from the side of various European institutions and bodies, below are 12 points that are taken into account in the selection of criteria for good practices in the field of integration of migrants, in line with the respective initiative of the European Commission and the OECD. It should be noted that these points are in line with and interwoven with national policies and national integration structures and programmes in the Member States.

The majority of good practices focused on the following elements:

The provision of decent housing
The provision of education in university institutions
The provision of counselling support

Indicatively, some of them will be mentioned which have already been analysed in Deliverable 1.4 of the project[27] and Deliverable 1.1 at national level. In total, 20 of these practices were used, schematising the actions and sub-projects that will follow below. By way of illustration, we refer to 3 European ones which are considered to have a current role in the project as:

They underline the current role of local government in the process of implementing the Plan.
Emphasise the housing and general accessibility of legal TCNs, refugees, and asylum seekers to the Social State.
Are anchored in the creation of a sustainable strategy linking education provision to the labour market.
Attach an important role to the counselling and training of legal TCNs, refugees and asylum seekers until their final integration into the RC.

On the basis of the above, the following are presented:

1. StartWien–Austria

The project leader is the Vienna Municipal Department 17 – (Integration and Diversity), which has an active role in migration issues. More specifically, its services relate to the reception of migrants and asylum seekers in Vienna and the provision of assistance and information material about the country and its culture. The department’s responsibilities include German language courses for young people, children and adults and cultural events to speed up the integration process. “Start coaching – getting a head start in Vienna” is a service offered by the Municipal Department 17 – Integration and Diversity for all new residents of Vienna who receive their first permit (Erstniederlassungsbewilligung) or a registration for family reunification purposes (Familienangehörige / -r). The project has been developed and implemented in cooperation with existing organisations as well as using specialised expertise from existing European projects. The innovation of this Good Practice consists in the fact that from the “first day” of entry of migratory flows into the host city, a reception approach is followed with the aim of their ” full integration”.

In this perspective, a rigorous and coherent policy is followed, whereby migrants and asylum seekers are immediately integrated into the labour market, while at the same time, in cooperation with the Economic Chamber, opportunities for internships are created across the country through a platform that recognises the skills of refugees and migrants, helping them to find employment. The initiative should be seen as important as it is partly based on lessons learned from experience and research:

Research on the integration programmes for young migrants in other European cities with high levels of migration.
Workshops with experts from migrant counselling centres and German language teachers for German as a first and second language to develop the main pillars, content and ideas for an integration programme.
Surveying approximately 50 immigrant communities on what they find useful for the integration of new immigrants and what type of information would be useful upon their arrival
Interviews with 135 new migrants to find out what measures they would consider important and useful
Analysis of the target groups (number of people and countries of origin) to plan the allocation of financial and human resources for the project.

2. MoBiBe: Mobile Bildungsberatung (Mobile Education Counselling)- Germany

The Good Practice (MoBiBe) is based on the existing experiences of the Berlin Counselling Training Centres and presents ways to improve the local educational and working environment. Develops career goals and prospects based on the individuals’ work skills, acting in a supportive manner. In addition, it informs and advises the target groups on the following issues:

Education and training, through internships and employment opportunities
Recognition of educational and professional qualifications
Support in the preparation of application documents
Providing information on the general structure of the German education system
German language courses

3. Solidarity Rent without Risk – France

The scheme focuses on the allocation of secure housing in privately owned accommodation in order to reduce the social exclusion of vulnerable families. The payment of a specific amount to the program by the client guarantees that it will provide housing, payment of all basic expenses, restructuring of the home in case of natural or human disaster, possibility of housing tax reduction in case of unavailability of the borrower. In a more general context, if the property is intended to accommodate a low-income worker, the party undertakes to allocate the available amount. In any other case, in the possibility of hosting vulnerable families, the Institution shall proceed to pay the amount of the housing rental. This practice is particularly important because it involves all stakeholders in the process of addressing the migration problem. At the same time, social housing is an initiative that has brought significant benefits to those countries that have implemented it, including France and the Nordic countries. Based on the analysis of the migration-related stakeholders in Strand 1.1 -Accomplishment 1.1, the adoption of this practice by the Republic of Cyprus would have a direct impact on improving the living indicators of migrants in terms of health, poverty, safety, material deprivation and delinquency.

[1] Phillimore et al., 2006; Phillimore et al., 2003

[2] Living Conditions of Asylum Seekers Report, University Of Nicosia, Published by UNCHR in2018

[3] Will be updated with new data when available

[4] UNCHR Cyprus. (2019). “What are Cypriots’ perceptions about refugees and migrants? Survey results presented today”. Available at: https://www.unhcr.org/cy/2019/03/08/what-are-cypriots-perceptions-about-refugees-and-migrants/

[5] HRDA, 2020. Employment and Training Needs Assessment for 2020. [Online]. Available at: http://www.hrdauth.org.cy/images/media/assetfile/2019%2012%2010%20%CE%9C%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%AD%CF%84%CE%B7%20%CE%94%CE%B9%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%B5%CF%8D%CE%BD%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%B7%202020.pdf

[6] Available at: there

[7] UNCHR Cyprus. (2019). “What are Cypriots’ perceptions about refugees and migrants? Survey results presented today”. Available at: https://www.unhcr.org/cy/2019/03/08/what-are-cypriots-perceptions-about-refugees-and-migrants/

[8] The Refugees Law of 2000 (Law 6(I)/2000)

[9] Country Report Cyprus 2018: Including an In-Depth Review on the prevention and correction of macroeconomic imbalances, European Commission, Brussels, 7.3.2018, SWD(2018) 211 final

[10] The most up-to-date data are used until they are updated with 2019-2020 data

[11] European Commission, 2019. Education and Training Monitor 2019. [Online]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/education/sites/education/files/document-library-docs/et-monitor-report-2019-cyprus_en.pdf

[12] European Commission, 2018. Education and Training Monitoring Report 2018: Cyprus. [Online]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/education/sites/education/files/document-library-docs/et-monitor-report-2018-cyprus_el.pdf

[13] Available at: https://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/submitViewTableAction.do

[14] Living Conditions of Asylum Seekers Report, University Of Nicosia, Published by UNCHR in 2018

[15] The most up-to-date data are used until they are updated

[16] The most recent data are used until they are updated with 2019-2020 information

[17] Living Conditions of Asylum Seekers Report, University Of Nicosia, Published by UNCHR in 2018

[18] ibid

[19] Living Conditions of Asylum Seekers Report, University Of Nicosia, Publshed by UNCHR in 2018

[20] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/knowledge4policy/dataset/ds00052_en

[21] Available at: http://www.mipex.eu

[22] Living Conditions of Asylum Seekers Report, University Of Nicosia, Published by UNCHR in 2018

[23] UNCHR Cyprus. (2019). “What are Cypriots’ perceptions about refugees and migrants? Survey results presented today”. Available at: https://www.unhcr.org/cy/2019/03/08/what-are-cypriots-perceptions-about-refugees-and-migrants/

[24] The most recent data are used until they are updated with new data for 2019-2020.

[25] Living Conditions of Asylum Seekers Report, University Of Nicosia, Published by UNCHR in 2018.

[26] UNCHR Cyprus. (2019). “What are Cypriots’ perceptions about refugees and migrants? Survey results presented today”. Available at: https://www.unhcr.org/cy/2019/03/08/what-are-cypriots-perceptions-about-refugees-and-migrants/

[27] National Plan on the Integration of Migrants, 2019. Report of good practices

3.6 Analysis of the current integration framework of the Republic of Cyprus

Migration Pillars

In order to describe the current situation in the Republic of Cyprus, it is necessary to describe the “migration cycle” in order to clarify how migrants, refugees and asylum seekers enter the Republic of Cyprus. In particular these are :

Entry by legal means
Legal residence
Integration or voluntary departure

In a broader scope, the migratory chain of the Republic of Cyprus or the migration pillars include the period of time from the day the migrant enters the host country until the last stage, when the beneficiary can be considered as a person with rights of access and equal participation in the public life of the Republic of Cyprus.

1^st Pillar : Entry into the RC: To manage the entry of flows into the host country, the first pillar is divided into legal and irregular entry. With regard to legal entry, two main stages in the mapping of migratory flows can be identified, following a consecutive order:

Entry from approved entry points
Screening of legal migrants

The main entry points of the flows are the airports of Larnaca and Paphos, as well as the ports of Larnaca, Limassol, Latchi and Paphos, which are located in these areas and are under the control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus [under the Law “The Aliens and Immigration Law (KEF.105) )”] it shall apply that “The Council of Ministers may declare by notification in the Official Gazette of the Republic any port of the Republic as an approved port for the purposes of this Act.”

The actors involved in the verification of legal migration documents are as follows:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus and in particular the Consular Authorities, where according to the Law “The Aliens and Immigration Laws (KEF.105220 (I) /2002)” it applies that “Subject to the provisions of Article 8, no person shall enter the Republic without a passport and any person acting in this manner shall be considered as a prohibited immigrant“.
The Civil Registry and Migration Department of the Republic of Cyprus, where applications relating to the Migration Section of the Department are submitted at specific locations
Aliens and Immigration Service where the application for Visa Extension – Category C is submitted as a request to that Service. The types of entry visa policies relating to immigration are divided into the following categories:
Visa issued on arrival/at the Border – Category C
Visa extension – Category C
Long-stay visa – category D

2^nd Pillar : Legal residence: In the first stage, a residence permit can be issued for the purposes of employment, education, family reunification (except for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection), long-term or permanent residence, tourism and holding refugee status. The competent authority for the issue of an employment permit is the Civil Registry and Migration Department for the first issue and renewals, and then for the issue of residence and work permits. Permits are granted to all non-Cypriots employed by legal entities or self-employed in Cyprus. Also, EU Citizens may enter the Republic of Cyprus without a work contract and seek employment for a period of 4 months before applying to the Civil Registry and Migration Department to obtain a Certificate of Registration.

3^rd Pillar : Integration or voluntary departure: The final stage of the migration cycle is departure or integration into the country of residence. Departure can be divided into the following stages: the last stage of entry or integration into the country of origin.

Voluntary Departure
Assisted Return
Deportation

In the first case, the departure of the migrant usually takes place when he/she is residing legally and wishes to return to his/her country of origin. According to “The Law on Aliens and Immigration (KEF.105- 153(I)/2011)” for the return decision an appropriate period of time for voluntary departure is between 7 and 30 days. The departure of the person may be carried out on the basis of the use of his/her personal resources or with the employer covering the costs.

In the second case, the main actors involved in assisted return of the migrant are the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The IOM, through its Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme, provides information and counselling services, procurement of travel documents, safe travel arrangements and support for reintegration in the country of origin.

In accordance with the above, the Aliens and Immigration Service acts towards the direct support of migrants and asylum seekers, for their effective repatriation.

Legal dimension of migration in the Republic of Cyprus

The successive waves of migrants that have been arriving in the Republic of Cyprus have created the need for legislation with long-term objectives, which will allow for the orderly integration of migrants by promoting:

Tolerance of all forms of diversity
Prevention of racism
The creation of an environment of peaceful coexistence between the beneficiaries and the Cypriot society
The reduction of social exclusion

According to the Cyprus Constitution and under Article 28 (1) “All persons are equal before the law, the administration and the judiciary and are entitled to equal protection and treatment”. In accordance with Article 28 (2) of the Constitution, the enjoyment of economic, cultural and social rights is safeguarded without discrimination. It is also provided that all persons shall enjoy the rights and freedoms without direct or indirect discrimination against any person on the basis of race, community, religion, sex, political or other reason, ethnic or social origin, birth, colour, social class or any other ground, except where the Constitution declares. All articles relating to human rights contained in Part II of the Cyprus Constitution (Articles 6-35) and the rights granted by the European Convention on Human Rights must be exercised in a non-discriminatory manner.

The basic laws governing the Republic of Cyprus, which are directly related to the immigration and refugee issue are “The Law on Aliens and Immigration Chap. 105” and “The Refugee Law of 2000 (Law 6(I)/2000) EU, Part I(I), No. 3383, 28/1/2000”. More specifically, the “Aliens and Immigration Act Cap. 105” explicitly mentions and defines all the content governing the immigration phenomenon. By giving an interpretation of the concept of “alien” (Article 2), it defines the procedures for staying in the Republic of Cyprus. In more detail, based on Article 18 “Procedure for granting an immigration permit in the Republic to a long-term resident in the first Member State other than the Republic”, it states that:

“18K.-(1) A long-term resident in a first Member State other than the Republic shall, within three months of his arrival in the areas controlled by the Government of the Republic or before leaving the first Member State, apply to the Director for an immigration permit.
(2) The application shall be submitted in the form prescribed by the Director, on payment of the appropriate fee prescribed for the issue of an identity card with biometric data in accordance with the provisions of the Population Registry Act, and shall be accompanied by (the following) supporting documents as required by the case

Also, the “Refugee Law of 2000 (Law 6(I)/2000) EU, Part I(I), No.3383, 28/1/2000”, according to Article 2, unless a different meaning follows from the text, “applicant” means a foreigner who has applied for recognition as a refugee and this status is valid for the period from the date of the application until the final decision on this application, “foreigner” means a person as, defined in the Law on Aliens and Immigration. The legislative framework is described below:

Amendments 2019

The Aliens and Immigration (Amendment) (No. 2) Law of 2019 (Law 8(I)/2019) EU, Part I(I), No. 4684, 8/2/2019″

According to Article 1, this Act shall be referred to as the “Immigration and Immigration (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 2019” and shall be read together with the Immigration and Immigration Act (hereinafter referred to as the “principal Act”).

“The Civil Registry (Amendment) (No. 2) Law of 2019 (Law 65(I)/2019) E.U., Part I(I), No. 4703, 10/5/2019”

According to Article 2, Article 16 of the Basic Law is amended as follows by replacing in subsection (2) thereof the word “five times” (fourth line) with the word “twice” and by replacing the period at the end of subsection (2) thereof with a colon and by adding immediately afterwards the following proviso:

65(I) of 2019. “Provided that the prescribed surcharge shall not be doubled in cases where an application for birth registration is made within six (6) months from the date of commencement of the Population Registry (Amendment) (No. 2) Act”.
“The Aliens and Immigration (Conditions of Entry and Residence of Third Country Nationals for the Purposes of Research, Studies, Training, Voluntary Service, Student Exchanges or Educational Programmes) Law of 2019 (Law 7(I)/2019)”

According to Article 1, this Law shall be referred to as the “Law on Aliens and Immigration (Conditions of Entry and Residence of Third Country Nationals for the Purpose of Research, Study, Internshiκp, Voluntary Service, Student Exchanges or Educational Programmes) Law of 2019”.

Amendments 2017

” The Marriage (Amendment) Law of 2017 (Law 95(I)/2017) E.U., Part I(I), No.4612, 14/7/2017″

According to Article 1 this Law shall be referred to as “the Marriage (Amendment) Act 2017” and shall be read together with the Marriage Acts 2003 and 2009 (hereinafter referred to as “the principal Acts”).

Amendments 2015

“The Civil Partnership Act 2015 (184(I)/2015)”

According to Article 3, the purpose of this Law is to regulate the terms and legal effects of Civil Partnership.

Amendments 2014

“The Prevention and Combating of Trafficking and Exploitation of Persons and Protection of Victims Law of 2014 (L. 60(I)/2014)”

According to Article 3, the purpose of this Law is to take measures to prevent, suppress and combat the offences of trafficking, exploitation and abuse of persons, to protect and support the victims of such offences, to establish control mechanisms and to promote international cooperation for the implementation of the above measures.

“The Minimum Guaranteed Income and Social Benefits in General Law of 2014 (Law 109(I)/2014) E.U., Part I(I), No.4453, 11/7/2014”

According to Article 5(1), subject to the provisions of the law, a person may apply to become a beneficiary of a minimum guaranteed income benefit if the following conditions are met: The applicant must be either a citizen of the Republic, a citizen of the European Union, a national of a third country, who has long-term resident status in the Republic under the “Law on Aliens and Immigration”, as amended or replaced.

Amendments 2013

“The Public Utilities and Services (Amendment) Law of 2013 (Law 64(I)/2013) R.E., Part I(I), No.4398, 12/7/2013”

According to Article 3, Part (II), the right to Public Assistance is granted to TCNs who have long-term resident status in the Republic or long-term resident status in another Member State and an immigration permit in the Republic. Also, the same right is enjoyed by HRWs who hold a legal status provided for in the “Law on Refugees” and the Regulations issued thereunder, with the exception of asylum seekers and persons with temporary residence status for humanitarian reasons. Furthermore, it is addressed to any TCN who holds the legal status of an asylum seeker or temporary residence status for humanitarian reasons under the “Refugee Law“.

Amendments 2007

“The Law on the Right of Citizens of the Union and Members of their Families to Move and Reside Freely in the Republic of 2007 (7(I)/2007)”

According to Article 3, the purpose of this Law is to determine the conditions and formalities governing the exercise of the right of free movement and residence in the Republic by citizens of the Union and members of their families, the conditions and formalities governing the exercise of the right of permanent residence in the Republic by citizens of the Union and members of their families and the restrictions that may be imposed on the rights referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) above, for reasons of public order, public safety and security.

Amendments 2005

“The Safeguarding and Protection of Patients’ Rights Law of 2004 (Law 1(I)/2005)” According to Article 7, health care is made available to all on an equal basis without discrimination.

Amendments 2004

“The Combating of Racial and Other Discriminatory Practices (Commissioner) Act 2004 (42(I)/2004)”

According to Article 5, subject to the provisions of this Law, the powers, duties and authorities of the Commissioner shall cover the following in activities in the private and public sector of activities:

(a) Discrimination prohibited by law under Article 6, racial discrimination and indirect racial discrimination under Article 7, and in general discrimination on grounds of race, community, language, colour, religion, political or other opinion, and national or ethnic origin

(b) The exercise, without racial discrimination within the meaning of Article 7, of the rights and freedoms provided for in Part II of the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus and in the Conventions and Laws referred to in Article 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus and in the Conventions and Laws referred to in Article 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus. 3822, 19/3/2004 42(I)/2004 8 below, hereinafter referred to as “the protected rights and freedoms”, subject always to the exceptions, reservations, conditions, limitations and formalities provided for in the Constitution, the relevant Convention, or the Law, as the case may be.

“The Police Law of 2004 (Law 73(I)/2004) E.U., Part I(I), No. 3834, 8/4/2004” According to Article 10, the Chief or an Officer duly authorised by him shall, following a request by an applicant or a person duly authorised by the applicant, after verifying that the applicant’s record is clean, issue a clean criminal record certificate to a citizen of the Republic of Cyprus or to a foreigner who has been legally residing in Cyprus for at least six months. In addition, the Chief or an Officer duly authorised by him shall, upon request of the applicant or a person duly authorised by the applicant, issue a certificate of criminal record indicating the convictions concerning him to a citizen of the Republic of Cyprus and to a foreigner legally residing in Cyprus for at least six months.

Amendments 2002

“The Civil Registry Law of 2002 (Law 141(I)/2002)”περί Αρχείου Πληθυσμού Νόμος του 2002 (Ν. 141(I)/2002)“

The qualifications for naturalisation of a foreigner applying for such naturalisation are as follows:

(a) Residence in the Republic for the entire period of the immediately preceding 12 months from the date of application, and

(b) during the period of seven years immediately preceding the twelve-month period referred to above, either resided in the Republic, or was in the public service of the Republic, or partly one and partly the other, for periods of not less than four years in aggregate.

Provided that students, visitors and self-employed persons, as well as athletes, coaches, sports technicians, domestic helpers, nurses and employees of Cypriot or foreign employers or offshore companies, who reside in the Republic solely for the purpose of work, as well as their spouses, children or other dependants, must, during the immediately preceding period of at least seven years, have accumulated a total residence in the Republic of at least seven years, of which one year immediately preceding the date of his/her application must be continuous; (c) be of good character; and (d) have an intention in the event of a certificate being granted to him/her.

Amendments 2000

“The Statistics Law of 2000 (Law 15(I)/2000)”

in the provisions of Article 2 of the present Law, unless the text indicates a different meaning; – Interpretation. “Census” means the complete recording or counting of all statistical units under review. According to Article 3, paragraph (1), a Statistical Unit is directly identified by its name and address or by a registration number officially assigned to it. The statistical unit is also indirectly identified if it is possible to identify it in a way other than that referred to in the paragraph. In order to determine whether a statistical unit can be indirectly identified, account shall be taken of all the means that can reasonably be used to identify the statistical unit concerned.

“The Refugee Law of 2000 (Law 6(I)/2000) E.U., Part I(I), No. 3383, 28/1/2000″

According to Article 2 of this Law, “applicant” means a foreigner who has applied for recognition as a refugee and this status is valid for the period from the date of submission of the application until the final decision on the application. At the same time, the law defines “minor” as a person under the age of eighteen, while “competent officer” means an immigration officer who is specially trained in refugee matters.

Amendments 1996

“The Civil Defence Law of 1996 (Law 117(I)/1996) E.U., Part I(I), No.3111, 31/12/1996

Under Article 8 subsection (2) without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of subsection (1), regulations issued under this Article may provide for any of the matters referred to in Articles 3, 4, 6 and 7 of this Law, and for any measures designed to control displaced persons or refugees or members of the population, and for the health care or other relief of any persons suffering the effects of conflict or calamity, including any matters relating to the treatment of the dead.

1959 basic law

“Aliens and Migration: Chapter 105 of the Laws [1]“

A law to amend and consolidate the laws relating to aliens and Immigration

Legal dimension of asylum policy in the Republic of Cyprus

The legal foundation for asylum in the Republic of Cyprus stems from International Conventions, European Regulations and European Directives. Cyprus has ratified a number of international conventions, such as the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951, which was ratified on 16 May 1963. At the same time, the “Refugee Law of 2000 (Law 6(I)/2000) EU, Part I(I), No.3383, 28/1/2000“, which was ratified on 9 July 1968, is the cornerstone of the Cypriot legislative framework, in terms of the alignment of the Republic of Cyprus with European and international law. In those already ratified by the Republic of Cyprus, provisions guaranteeing rights to all, irrespective of origin or gender and independent of whether they are nationals, immigrants or foreigners.

Below are the main documents that are used to regulate the legislative framework on asylum (Table 2, Table 3, Table 4, Table 5):

International Conventions

Chronology	Document
1968	09/7/1968 – Ratification of the New York Protocol of 31 January 1967
1963	16/5/1963 – Ratification of the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951

European Regulations

Chronology	Document
2004	Regulation (EC) No 343/2003 establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an asylum application lodged in a Member State by a third-country national
2004	Regulation 2725/2000 establishing Eurodac for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of the Dublin Convention

European Directives

Chronology	Document
2009	Directive 2005/85/EC on minimum standards on the procedures in member states for granting and withdrawing refugee status.
2007	Directive 2004/83/EC on the minimum standards for the qualification and status of third country nationals or stateless persons as refugees or as persons who otherwise need international protection and the content of the protection granted
2005	Directive 2003/9/EC on minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers
2004	Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001 on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and on measures promoting a balance of efforts between Member States in receiving and bearing the consequences of receiving such persons

Laws

Chronology	Document
2015	The Aliens and Immigration Law (CHA.105)
2000	The Refugees Act 2000 (Law 6(I)/2000) E.U., Part I(I), No.3383, 28/1/2000

The procedures associated with the granting of asylum in the Republic of Cyprus, according to the Ministry of Interior, have the following format

An application for asylum can be submitted at all legal entry points upon the applicant’s arrival in Cyprus, at any police station and at the provincial offices of the Aliens and Immigration Service.
A detained person can apply for asylum in the prison/detention centre/police station where he/she is being held. When submitting the application, the applicant shall be informed in a language he/she understands of his/her rights and obligations as an applicant as provided for by the Law, the asylum examination procedure to be followed, the benefits to which he/she is entitled with regard to reception conditions and the procedures followed for access and the organisations or groups of persons providing legal assistance and/or support with regard to reception conditions.
The asylum application form is available in Greek, Turkish, English, French, Arabic, Farsi, Serbo-Croatian and Russian. Upon submission of the asylum application, the applicant is provided with an asylum application confirmation letter form, which gives him/her access to all the rights provided for by the legislation (access to public assistance, health care, employment, education, etc.). In addition, when applying for asylum, the applicant is obliged to undergo a medical examination. In this respect, the formulation of an evaluation framework for this strategy requires the use of specific evaluation indicators.

Assessment of the Republic of Cyprus’ work on the management of the migration and refugee

Cyprus, as a full EU member state since 2004 and having a south-eastern natural border, has experienced a strong influx of migration, particularly in terms of asylum numbers. Although, with EU accession, institutional arrangements were introduced to upgrade anti-discrimination policies, there has been no radical improvement in the employment conditions of the thousands of migrants and third-country workers who work in Cyprus [2].

The 2010 National Plan was precisely aimed at promoting a more coherent immigration policy, following consultations with all relevant stakeholders. The Plan outlined the policy parameters of integration and consisted of a detailed plan of support and information for Third Country Nationals permanently residing in the Republic of Cyprus. On the basis of the Plan, the contemporary model of migration of the Republic of Cyprus had been developed, which was a mixture of assimilationist and multiculturalism, and was referred to as decentralised in its administrative dimension.

Indications of assimilation were also observed in the “Migration Cycle” of the Republic of Cyprus, in terms of the Entry-Residence-Exit stages, in the sense that the majority of actions were taken by the main governmental authorities (Civil Registry and Migration Department Aliens and Immigration Unit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Cyprus Police). However, the final stage of the migration pillar, which amounts to the departure of migrants to their country of origin, is not related to an assimilationist approach, as it does not include the desire for their full integration into the Cypriot community.

The positive features of the then National Action Plan can be summarised as follows:

Actions for the awareness and training of migrants
Promotion of equal treatment at work
Access to judicial systems
Organisation of seminars for employers and employees on vocational training, notification of health provisions in schools and maternity services (free of charge, irrespective of their origin)
European Refugee Fund and EQUAL Community Initiative, which aim to address inequalities in the social rights of migrants and asylum seekers.

In more detail, the framework of the 2010-2012 National Plan concentrated on the formulation of 8 priority axes, which were:

1^st Priority axis : “Information-Service-Transparency”
2^nd Priority axis: “Employment – Training – Trade unionism”
3^rd Priority axis: “Education and learning of the Greek language”
4^th Priority Axis: “Healthcare”
5^th Priority Axis: “Housing – Improving quality of life, social protection and interaction”
6^th Priority Axis: “Culture-Civic Education-Basic elements of political and social reality”
7^t^h Priority: ” Inclusiveness”
8^th Priority : “Evaluation – annual and overall”

Projects in this area that have achieved successful results are the following (selected on the basis of the most positive reviews throughout their implementation)[3]. Indicatively, some of these will be listed, which helped to shape the actions of the new National Plan:

“Incentive scheme for the employment of people belonging to vulnerable social groups of the population”

The scheme aimed to encourage employers to recruit individuals belonging to vulnerable groups of the population through the provision of sponsorship. The aim of the scheme was to combat the reluctance of employers to recruit people belonging to vulnerable groups of the population. The desirable outcome was the social integration/rehabilitation of vulnerable groups of the population facing social exclusion difficulties. The Project was co-financed by the European Social Fund and the Republic of Cyprus under the Operational Programme “Employment, Human Resources and Social Cohesion” 2007-2013, under Priority Axis 2: “Labour Market Enlargement and Social Cohesion”. The budget of the project was €3.000.000.

“Supplementary teaching for illiterate and foreign language speaking pupils in primary education”

This initiative included remedial teaching which involved both foreign language students and illiterate Cypriot students. The annual budget of the programme includes €2.5 million through national funds.

“Network for integration “

To achieve this initiative, CARDET has undertaken actions related to strengthening cooperation between countries, including Member States of the European Union and/or third countries. This cooperation was aimed at improving the administrative capacity and increasing the awareness of state officials with regard to integration issues. The project budget was €109,981.66 and was completed in 2019.

«Mingle»

The European project MINGLE was aimed both at the local level and for third country nationals. Through local social actors, it aimed to facilitate active citizenship by developing Social and Human Capital for migrants to improve integration capacity through interventions for 500 locals and 500 nationals in 5 countries. Its activities involve learning the Greek language and getting to know the culture of the host country. The project was financed by the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund with a budget of €615.262,62 and the duration of the project was 24 months

“Integration Programmes by Local Authorities”

The objective of the project was to assist the process of integration of third country nationals (TCNs) into the Cypriot society and to strengthen the practices and policies implemented in relation to TCNs. The co-financing was carried out, through the European Funds Unit of the Ministry of Interior, by both the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Republic of Cyprus.

“Training of officials involved in the first and second phase of the examination of applications for international protection”

The importance of the project lies in the fact that it was incorporated in the group of actions for “Information-Service-Transparency” of the National Action Plan 2010-2012. The action is also part of the framework of objectives for:

Signing of agreements of friendship and exchange
To provide and exchange information, experiences and good practices with countries of origin

The project had a budget of €20.168 (75% from the European Refugee Fund and 25% from national resources)

“Support for the operation of the Temporary Accommodation Facility for Persons in Need of International Protection, Pournara in Kokkinotrimithia (2019)”

The Ministry of Interior as coordinator of the National Special Plan “Navratis” which concerns the management of mass arrivals of persons in need of protection, mainly from third countries, has entrusted the Civil Defence with the implementation of a series of measures for its optimal implementation. It is reported that in the context of the implementation of these measures, Civil Defence as Final Beneficiary has concluded a Grant Agreement with the European Funds Unit of the Ministry of Interior, which is the Responsible Authority for Internal Affairs Funds, on the support of the operation of the Temporary Accommodation Area for Persons in Need of International Protection, Pournara, in Kokkinotrimithia. The project is financed by the Internal Security Fund and 100% of the amount will be covered by EU funding. The project budget had been agreed at €817.656,55.

“Training of migrants in social skills, that could be included in the framework of the implementation of the YEKA projects under planning for the new programming period”

The project was included in the National Action Plan for Migrants for the period 2010-2012 under Axis 5: “Housing – Improving quality of life, social protection and interaction” with the aim of providing hospitality and improving the integration process of migratory flows. The project was co-financed by the European Social Fund

However, the plan lacked the following:

The lack of a baseline study examining the state of integration as it occurs and evolves over time.
The lack of a corresponding importance of consulting migrants directly, even at a later stage of the process, as they are the main target group.
The lack of a long-term approach to immigration, manifested through the strict visa restrictions for migrants, leaving little scope for their effective integration
The relatively isolated function of local government in terms of its actions and long-term plans
The lack of counselling support for migrants and other target groups with the aim to facilitate their induction in the labour market.

“ Migrant Service Centres (Mi-Hub)”

The University of Nicosia in collaboration with the CARDET research centre and the Cyprus University of Technology took the action: Migrant Service Centres (CY/2019/AMIF/SO2.NO2.1.3/3). The Action was co-funded by the European Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (90%) and the Republic of Cyprus (10%). The aim of the MSCs is to support access services and resources that address the needs of migrants and emphasise the acquisition of new skills to facilitate the smooth adjustment to the Cypriot culture and social environment. This project was created to provide appropriate assistance to vulnerable groups of migrants across Cyprus, providing advice on a wide range of issues, including the following:

The project addresses both migrants, refugees and beneficiaries of international protection.

“Programmes for the integration of third country nationals in the labour market (First Step)”

It constitutes a programme to strengthen the integration policy for refugees and migrants on the most critical issue related to access to the Cypriot labour market. It is co-financed by the European Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. The project is entitled “First Step”, and it involves the participation, vocational education and training of three hundred (300) Third Country Nationals (TCNs), mainly refugees and asylum seekers, but also migrants. The aim is to participate in courses to develop basic social and work skills, language and vocational training.

Of these, the best performing one hundred (100) will participate in a specialised training and apprenticeship programme to gain experience for rapid integration into the labour market. The coordinator is the knowledge and information transfer organisation IMH. The partners are European University of Cyprus, a leading academic institution, the vocational training consultants AKMI (Greece) and KESEA (Cyprus) and the specialised consultants in European and communication issues EEA Group (Greece) and Opinion & Action (Cyprus). The total project budget is estimated at €250.000,00.

Greek Language Learning and Mediation Services for Minors of Third Country Nationals (TCNs) – Geia Xara”

The Greek Language Learning and Mediation Services for Minors of Third Country Nationals (TCNs) Programme was implemented by the CARDET Research Centre, in collaboration with Frederick University and INNOVADE Counselling Company, under the guidance of the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute and the Directorate of Primary Education, during the school years 2018 – 2019 and 2019 – 2020. It was also co-funded by AMIF. The main objective of the project was to support the integration of TCNs into the Cypriot society, helping them to learn the Greek language, as it is a key pillar of integration. The project offered the opportunity to attend Greek language courses at four different levels (basic (A1/A2) and intermediate (B1/B2). The courses were held in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos. The project budget was €348.553,36.

Establishment and Operation of an Open Centre for Unaccompanied Minors TCN

The main purpose of the project is to expand, provide hospitality and security to TCNs, through the improvement of their reception conditions, as well as through their education, psychological and legal support. The Centre aimed to operate according to international standards and in a way that promotes the rights of the child in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child [4]. The project covered operating costs of the Centre, furniture/equipment costs and food costs for the residents. In addition, the final beneficiary provided the possibility of learning the Greek language to all residents on a systematic basis and the possibility of psychological support from a qualified Psychologist. The Final Beneficiary was Hope For Children” and the project budget was €1,033,367.07. The project was co-financed by 90% by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and 10% by the Republic of Cyprus.

“Guide for TCNs with general information about Cyprus “

The purpose of this project was to develop an information guide that would have thematic sections on all aspects of everyday life in Cyprus, in order to support the integration of TCNs and their participation in the economic, social and cultural life of the island. The Guide was available in different languages covering the main mother tongues of TCNs in Cyprus. Such subjects areas were:

The Guide was available in English, Arabic, Tagalog, Hindi, Romanian/Moldovan, Russian, Sinhala, Tamil, Ukrainian and Vietnamese. All publications were published on this website. The Information Guide for Cyprus was developed in the framework of the Action “Information Guide for TCNs with general information on Cyprus” (Action 1 – CY/2016/AMIF/SO2.NO1.1.1) and is co-funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Republic of Cyprus. The Final Beneficiary of the project was Innovade Li Ltd and the project budget at €69,962.91. The project was co-funded by the and AMIF the the Republic of Cyprus.

“Training for social skills development”

“Hope For Children” CRC Policy Center in cooperation with the Nicosia Multipurpose Municipal Centre has successfully completed the trainings within the project “Training for Social Skills Development” co-funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, within the European Funds Unit of the Ministry of Interior. The aim of the project was the social integration of third country nationals residing in Cyprus, through the enhancement of social skills and the exposition of tools that will help them in their integration process in the host country with the ultimate aim of preventing delinquency and radicalisation. 172 people took part in the training and sessions were also held on racism, the position of women in European societies and gender equality. The project budget was €59,986.42.

” A campaign to raise public and local awareness (AWARE) “

The campaign “AWARE! Respect – Accept – Participate” is co-funded by the European Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Republic of Cyprus, with the European Funds Unit of the Ministry of Interior as the contracting authority. This initiative includes systematic and multi-level activities such as:

Promote public debate through the mass media (news, articles, analyses, reports)
Expanding our cooperation by building partnerships with stakeholders
Dissemination of information through social media
Organising interactive seminars
Forming a network of cooperation with organisations, associations and journalists.

The project had a budget of €100,000. In previous years it was 175.000 and 250.000. The final beneficiary of the project is Opinion & Action Services Ltd.

“Actions for School and Social Inclusion- DRASE”

The project is a very valuable project for Cypriot education as it marks a good practice for the use of resources from the Cohesion Policy Funds absorbed by the Republic of Cyprus. It is co-funded by the European Social Fund (85%) and the Republic of Cyprus (15%). The total budget of the project, which ends in 2020, is €14.4 million. The project is part of the Priority Axis of the Operational Programme “Employment, Human Resources and Social Cohesion 2014-2020”, under the Thematic Objective: “Promoting social inclusion and combating poverty and discrimination”. The main purpose of the “DRASE” programme is to mitigate the negative effects of the economic crisis on education and students, as it will be a useful tool to address the acute problems and challenges that our education system will have to face in the coming years. The objectives of the project are:

To support the population of Cyprus that falls below the poverty line
To support the economically weaker groups of the population and the socially excluded
To improve the learning outcomes of the TCNs
To reduce delinquency within the school setting
“Support the Operation of the Reception and Accommodation Centre for Applicants for International Protection at Kofinou”

The project aimed to improve the TCNs living conditions within the Reception Centre by ensuring a better quality of life for the minorities. Specifically, the project provided staff services, food, transport, equipment and infrastructure upgrading of the Centre. The project budget was €1,660,000 and was completed in 2017. 2 more projects followed. The project had the Asylum Service as final beneficiary.

“Employment programmes for Kofinou residents”

The aim of the project was to improve the quality of living conditions of the residents (minors and adults) of the Reception and Accommodation Centre for International Protection Applicants in Kofinou. In this context, the action included a series of recreational activity programmes for minors (pre-school and school age) and adults, while afternoon study programmes for school age minors will be implemented. The final beneficiary of the project was the Cyprus Red Cross and the project budget was €160,000 in 2017. Two other projects followed subsequently.

“ΤandEM Programme”

The project aims to build a bridge between migrants and local youth to promote dialogue, mutual understanding and cohesion in Spain, Italy, Malta, Greece, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Malta, Greece and Cyprus. The project is based on a network of universities as places of socialisation and first integration for a growing number of foreign students in Southern Europe. The main beneficiary of the project is IOM. The project was co-financed by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).The objectives of the project were:

The active participation of young migrants.
haping the discourse on migration and diversity in Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Cyprus, Greece and Spain.
Encouraging access and inclusion of young migrants to more inclusive and open education in Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Spain.
“Multicultural Child Care Centre of Nicosia – Rainbow”

The programme was aimed at children aged 5-12 years old, whose parents are residents of Nicosia. The objectives of the programme were:

The provision of high-quality and creative activities for children from vulnerable groups, after the end of the school program and during school holidays.
The disengagement of children’s parents, especially mothers, from all nationalities, so that they have easier access to the labour market.

The activities of the project concern the following:

The pickup of the children from their school by a bus provided by the programme, and accompanied by a representative of the team.
The support of a teacher for the study of school lessons.
The familiarization of the beneficiaries with the art of theatre and music.
The involvement in gymnastics and dance.
Organising discussions and visits (to museums, libraries, exhibitions, theatre performances, cinema).
Providing meals prepared at the ‘Centre’.

The main partners of the project were the Nicosia Municipality and the Nicosia Multipurpose Municipal Centre with co-funding from the Social Welfare Services of the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance with a budget of €85.000,00.

“Labour and Social Empowerment of People belonging to Vulnerable Groups through the development of Social Skills and other Activities”

The project focused on the development of active employment measures for the vulnerable groups of the population served by the Social Welfare Services. Also, for people who remain outside the labour market and face an increased risk of social exclusion, the Local Authorities’ Grant Scheme and/or ATA-NGO partnerships for the development of street-based social programmes was promoted. The main target group of the programme was the unemployed and young people who have either dropped out of school early or are displaying anti-social behaviour or using addictive substances, many of whom are of migrant origin. The proposed actions of the programme were:

Actions for social inclusion and empowerment of the target group for labour market integration.
Vocational guidance and training actions for the target group.
Information and awareness-raising actions for the public.

The main partners of the project were the Republic of Cyprus and the Union of Municipalities in partnership with the NGO “Faros”. The action was included in the Operational Programme: “Employment of Human Capital and Social Cohesion 2007-2013”. The Project was co-financed by the European Social Fund 2013».

“Measures to improve the social and educational integration of TCN children in Cyprus”

The project “Measures to improve the social and educational integration of third country children in Cyprus” (CY/2017/AMIF/SO2.NO2.3.1) was co-funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund in the Republic of Cyprus with the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute as the coordinating institution during the period January 2017-June 2018. The aim of the project was to empower through training educational staff and to support the participation of parents in school in order to create a holistic framework that ensures the social and educational integration of all children. The project comprised four (4) sub-actions and a series of deliverables, which are still being used after the end of this project

Action 1 involved the systematic research and evaluation of existing institutions, measures and practices implemented in the educational context regarding the policy for the integration of children with a migrant background, and in particular pupils from third countries, in school.

Action 2 concerned with the systematic training of teachers and educational staff on the management of socio-cultural diversity. Action 3 aimed at supporting the institution of mediators-supporters in schools in order to ensure smooth social integration, psychological support and the creation of channels of communication between school and family. Action 4 dealt with the training and support of teachers on the teaching of Greek as a second language, the strengthening of Greek language skills and multilingualism and, more generally, the management of the language issue for the integration of children into the educational system.

“Programme for teaching Greek to third country nationals (adults)”

The language courses are part of a broader effort to improve the communication skills of third country nationals through the development of basic skills in Greek with emphasis on simple oral and written communication, in order to facilitate their integration into Cypriot society and prevent their social exclusion. Through the programme, the beneficiaries will acquire skills in the Greek language, which will facilitate their job search, improve their living and accommodation conditions, facilitate their communication with the authorities and organisations of the Republic of Cyprus with which they interact and generally facilitate their interaction with colleagues in the workplace or with other people in their social environment.

The target group of Third Country Nationals includes:

Persons denefiting from refugee status or subsidiary protection
Persons who have applied for refugee or subsidiary protection status
Persons granted temporary protection
Persons living and/or working legally in Cyprus

The courses will be offered free of charge in all provinces of free Cyprus, where at least three levels of teaching will be provided. A total of 470 people will participate in the course throughout Cyprus (urban and rural areas), as well as in the Reception and Accommodation Centre for Applicants for International Protection (HRCIFP) in Kofinou. The main partners are INEK – PEO and the University of Cyprus, while the co-financing is carried out by the European Funds Unit of the Ministry of Interior, with a budget of €350,000.

Needs and Priorities

Having collected information on the migration and refugee phenomenon in the Republic of Cyprus through statistical information, as well as the overall analysis of the current situation, we will proceed to a brief presentation of the needs and priorities of the new National Strategy. Based on the SWOT[5], research , and the review of all the literature on the migration and refugee issue in the RC, we can summarize the main deficiencies:

Lack of information about the migrant profile: The absence of a holistic profiling system hampers the management of flows and their rapid integration in the country of residence.
Lack of a legal system for integration: While there is a legal framework for migration, the same is not true for the integration of migrants. The legal framework should be modernised on the basis of the EU’s 2030 objectives and the multicultural integration model that the majority of Western countries will follow in the 2050 horizon.
Lack of high quality training for the administrative and managerial staff who come into contact with migrants, refugees and asylum seekers: The presence of racist phenomena from the host society towards migrant groups and vice versa reduces the cases of peaceful coexistence of cultures and integration of flows in the country of residence.
Lack of an advisory support mechanism for migrants and refugees: a framework will need to be put in place to allow information about the welfare state of the country of residence to leak out. At the same time, the absence of a system for the provision of information on migrants’ information on the situation in the country. In addition, the lack of psychosocial support for groups with a migrant or refugee background leads to more instances of ghettoisation and xenophobia.

Based on the above, and taking into account the analysis of the current situation of the migration and refugee issue in the EU and the DR through the conduct of focus groups, the priorities of the new integration policy may be focused on:

the integration of beneficiaries and applicants for international protection who reside in the country and will remain in the country after the recognition of their protection status with a view to their integration into Cypriot society
strengthening the role of local authorities as an integral part of integration policies and as a key mechanism for the implementation of local integration plans
raising awareness among the host society and the wider public opinion on the importance of integration of third country nationals
the development of a common, horizontal coordination framework that will guide the actions of all stakeholders
reducing the disparity in the access of migrants and refugees to the welfare state in the RC
providing them with a high level of training to enable their integration into the host society and the labour market
the establishment of an integration framework for migrants, asylum seekers and refugees
monitoring the progress of beneficiaries within the RC, with a view to establishing a holistic framework for integration.

[1] Aliens and Migration: Chapter 105 of the Laws, [Online], Available at: https://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex4.detail?p_lang=en&p_isn=83801&p_country=CYP&p_count=392&p_classification=17&p_classcount=16

[2] Trimikliniotis, N., migrant Integration Policy in Cyprus, 2012.

[3] National Plan on the Integration of Migrants, 2019. Deliverable 1.1: Analysis of the current situation

[4] Convention on the Rights of the Child, [Online]. Available at: https://archive.unric.org/el/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=26232&Itemid=33

[5] National Plan on the Integration of Migrants, 2020. SWOT analysis results report

3.7 The policy framework of Cyprus new programming period 2021-2027

Social inclusion indicators and evaluation

The successful reception and integration of migrants and refugees in the Republic of Cyprus is the key to maximising their potential and exploiting the opportunities that the arrival of this migration wave can create at a cultural and socio-economic level. Therefore, the creation of an evaluation framework for this National Integration Strategy is crucial for assessing the impact of the proposed actions and for designing new programmes based on international conventions and good practices, as well as on the experience gained so far. Based on the above, it is proposed to use the Zaragoza Declaration, adopted in 2010 by the Pan-European Ministerial Conference[1]. Subsequently, in 2011, the European Commission in a pilot study proposed a number common indicators for the evaluation of integration policies[2]. The proposals of this pilot study focused on the analysis of quantitative indicators related to:

The unemployment rate
The employment rate
The education rate
The rapid drop-out of people with migrant and refugee backgrounds from the work or education environment

However, as worldwide social developments and conflicts are changing, and taking into account that population movements are a dynamic phenomenon, the indicator map is updated for 2020-2030 based on the 2018 OECD policy[3]. This will include indicators that cover the following:

Comparison of wealth and income of migrant women and men
Success rate of students with migrant and refugee backgrounds in school
Unemployment rate
Social inclusion rate

The importance of adopting qualitative indicators that focus on conducting opinion surveys is also implicitly included. This means that all the social aspects of the issue are now being given greater importance, including the human factor. The research of the UNHCR and the University of Cyprus[4] , is being considered against this background, which presents the linkage and sequence of a series of indicators that could be used in the framework of defining the indicator system. Indicatively listed are :

Measuring the perception of threat (symbolic and real) in the attitudes of the public [5]: To carry out the qualitative research, five-point scales can be used to indicate the degree of agreement or disagreement with a set of X propositions. Some can be related to perceived threats identified by the citizens of the RC related to mainly material resource issues, such as economy, crime or social expenditure on the migration and refugee issue.
Some other suggestions may relate to cultural considerations (e.g. the presence of migrants will have a negative impact on the culture of the country).
Emotion thermometers: respondents are given instructions to express their feelings in numbers. Positive emotions are labelled as warm emotions and negative emotions are equivalent to cold emotions. It focuses on measuring the direction of the attitude and also on assessing the degree or intensity of the emotion.

All the above will be integrated respectively in the actions, and will be planned during the start-up phase of each action and sub-project.

In view of this, the group discussions held by the partnership during the project have managed to produce indicators of social inclusion, setting out the aspects of the problem. Based on the above, the following indicators are proposed in Table 2: Statistical indicators the following indicators:

WORK	HEALTH	EDUCATION	INTEGRATION	TECHNICAL ASPECT	QUALITATIVE DIMENSION
Unemployment rate (%)	Percentage of people with health problems (%)	Percentage of people with a higher education degree (%)	Average net income of individuals (%)	Action success rate (%)	Measurement of beneficiaries’ view on the success of the action
Employment rate (%)	Percentage of people with equal access to health care (%)	Percentage of people who have knowledge of the Greek language (%)	Risk of poverty or social exclusion (%)	Percentage of viability of a migrant business (%)	Measuring beneficiaries’ views on their access to health care
Number of people with temporary or part-time contracts (%)	Average life expectancy of people with a migrant and refugee background	Percentage of people who drop out of education early (%)	Percentage of xenophobic phenomena (%) in all integration-related services	Gender, age, and ethnic group segregation (%)	Measuring beneficiaries’ views on their access to education
			Rate of social inequality (Index S80/S20)
Number of long-term unemployed (%)		Percentage of people participating in lifelong learning (%)	Percentage of people living in conditions of material deprivation (%)		Measuring beneficiaries’ views on their access to work
Percentage of people who worked in the country of origin (%)			Percentage of people living in low labour-intensive households (%)		Measuring beneficiaries’ views on social inclusion
			Emotion thermometers
			Measuring the perception of threat (symbolic and real) in public attitudes
			Measuring exposure to media

It is important to note that the evaluation of the National Strategy will be carried out through both the above quantitative and qualitative indicators, on an annual basis and at the completion. Each action and sub-project will have to encapsulate the indicators in order to be measured accordingly.

Excpected Results and Challenges

The National Plan for Integration aims to take a holistic approach to integration policy through the formulation of actions that will have continuity and lack of overlap. In this respect, the expected results of the Plan are as follows:

Reduce migrant unemployment by 40% until 2030
Increase employment in vocationally related fields by 30% until 2030
Reduce social inequality of migrants in education and employment by 30% until 2030
Increase public perception and social surveys on migration by 40% until 2030
Reduce the rate of long-term unemployed by 40% until 2030
Reduce xenophobic incidents by 60% until 2030

However, the new challenges ahead appear to be intense. Based on the preceding SWOT research, it was observed that the potential risks and challenges of the next decade may be:

Rise of xenophobia if migratory flows in urban centres increase and result in ghettoisation
Problem of migrants’ access to the welfare state in the RC due to the reduced availability of labour force to serve the beneficiaries in the reception centres
The challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic which may cost the lives of vulnerable groups with migrant and refugee backgrounds
Geopolitical developments related to the Republic of Turkey that will have an impact on migration flows.

[1] European Web site on Integration, 2010. Declaration of the European Ministerial Conference on Integration (Zaragoza, 15 & 16 April 2010) [online]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/migrant-integration/librarydoc/declaration-of-the-european-ministerial-conference-on-integration-zaragoza-15-16-april-2010

[2] Eurostat, 2011. Indicators of Migrant Integration. [online]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3888793/5849845/KS-RA-11-009-EN.PDF/9dcc3b37-e3b6-4ce5-b910-b59348b7ee0c

[3] OECD, 2018. Settling in 2018: Indicators of Migrant Integration. [online]. Available at: http://www.oecd.org/migration/indicators-of-immigrant-integration-2018-9789264307216-en.htm

[5] According to Shah, McLeod, Gotlieb and Lee (2009), the best known definition of the framing effect in the social sciences is that “framing effects occur when two equivalent (but not transparently equivalent) accounts of a problem lead decision-makers to choose different views”

Formulation of intervention axes and strategic objectives

Under the 2016 EU Operational Plan for Migration, a basic framework for the targeting of the new National Plan for Integration in the ND has already been developed. By integrating the experience and data of the current situation, the purpose of the Action Plan is being formulated, which will be linked to:

Optimising reception conditions (Pillar 1 in the migration chain)
The level of education and employment (pillar 2 in the migration chain)
Access to the welfare state in the Republic of Cyprus (pillar 3 in the migration chain)

European societies, including Cyprus, are and will continue to be diverse. It is thus expected that human mobility will be an inherent feature of the 21st century, both for Europe and globally, which suggests that countries at the centre of geopolitical developments, such as Cyprus, will have to intensify their efforts to manage the ongoing incoming migratory flows, but also with regard to reception and integration policies for legal TCNs. Against this background, the following actors should play an ongoing role in shaping integration policy for the new period:

The role of local authorities is becoming particularly important, not only because of the Agenda for Sustainable Development, which highlights the importance of local plans to reduce social inequalities, but also because of the need to adopt a three-pronged integration policy, which will follow the applicant from his/her legal entry into the country of residence until his/her full integration. As stated in the EU Common Basic Principles on Integration Policy, “integration takes place at local level, as part of everyday life where everyone has a role to play. For integration to be successful, it must involve the host society in the creation of opportunities for the full participation of third-country nationals.”

The role of synergies and partnerships in the whole effort to reflect the vision of inclusion in all aspects of social life.In light of the above, the purpose of the National Plan is to create a holistic approach to the integration of migrants. With the proposed methodological approach adopted in the existing National Plan, we aim to offer a first level of proposals and projects to the Contracting Authority. Our aim is not only to analyse how we will proceed in the preparation of the National Plan, but also how we have broken down the actions and individual sub-projects into potential actions of the National Plan. Having studied, the Proposal Submission Form (PSF-Annex 1 of the Project Grant Agreement), as well as the policy documents related to the management of the migration issue in the European area (e.g. OECD Research “Strategic Foresight Towards 2035: Making Migration and Integration Policies Future Ready”) we aim to provide a framework for conceptualising the priority axes we have set out below. Also, in order to generate the priority axes of the Plan, we conducted a SWOT analysis and research in which we assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the existing integration framework of the RC, as well as the opportunities and risks that lie ahead. Furthermore, we took into account the findings from:
The preparation of focus groups with relevant bodies related to the migration issue
The holding of personal interviews with relevant bodies

Against this background, we have agreed that our approach will be:

People-centred : It is important not to ingnore the fact that people are driven to migrate most of the time because of extreme events such as war or other conflicts.
Equality: a key policy for achieving equality is to prevent the marginalisation of migrants, as well as ensuring their active and equal integration into the host society.
Equity (isonomy) : The target group should be able to participate equally in the welfare state, with the aim of reducing instances of violence, marginalisation and inequality.

In view of the above, the level A of the Proposal Submission Form constituted the starting point of the methodological analysis, where a first clarification of the central objective was made: The effective social integration of migrants in terms of humanitarian, equality, equity, and added value, while strengthening the underlying dynamics of Cyprus’ society and economy (Strategic goal). Specifically, the axes were formulated on the findings of the UNHCR[1]. The document pointed out the obvious and inherent weakness of the absence of a comprehensive European strategy for the integration of migrants in the European area because of the following:

The absence of sufficient statistical data
The failure to assess the skills of migrants in the host country
The lack of understanding by the host societies regarding the difficulties encountered by migrants
The lack of guidance for migrants on issues relate to employment
The fact that the information system in the European host countries needs to be modernised in order to improve the management of migratory flows
The need for a clear division of responsibilities between the authorities in charge of migration issues
The absence of a comprehensive political and technocratic approach, which would originate from Brussels as a result of the cooperation between the Member States.

The initial intervention axes would include actions relating to:

Recognising and certifying the prior knowledge of the target group
The training in the country of residence
Awareness-raising among migrants and other target groups, the host societies. and those involved in the integration process
The accessibility of migrants and other target groups to the labour market
Counselling support for migrants on issues that may have a bearing on them
The provision of specific methods and tools for managing the migration issues
Formulating a mechanism for the management of the National Plan

We then proceeded at level B to study the latest policy and strategy documents for managing and addressing the migration issue. Specifically, the intervention axes were formulated on the basis of :

European Commission strategic analysis documents
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reports
Strategic objectives of European agencies for the management of the migration

In the first place, according to the OECD research “Strategic Foresight Towards 2035: Making Migration and Integration Policies Future Ready ”[2] the integration strategy for managing the migration issue should be linked to the assessment of technological developments at European level and how they affect the inevitable upgrading of the skills of the target group in order to best integrate them in the host country. At the same time, questions arise as to how selection and integration systems for migrants may be rendered more effective by making use of new technologies (e.g. use of big data) while at the same time respecting human rights. The report also underlines the importance of assessing geopolitical and demographic developments in order to anticipate the likelihood of an increase in migratory flows and to maximise their use in unpopular labour sectors (e.g. vocational training). In this context, the strategic axes for integrating immigrants should be based on the following questions:

Strategic Questions	Answers
How can policy objectives and key performance indicators become more comprehensive and contribute to sustainable development?	· Link migration policy to the type of welfare state( Liberal, Mixed, etc.) and its objectives · The coupling of migration policy with the economic and social externalities (e.g. the impact of pandemics, geopolitical conflicts, etc.) · Incorporate measures that can strengthen both social cohesion and economic equality
How can the new partnerships that will emerge be horizontal and sustainable?	· Ensure the inclusion all actors engaged in migration management · Establish a coordinating body that will be able to oversee the whole integration process · Foster further upskilling of the target group (migrants)
How can the resulting new National Plan have sufficient predictive capabilities to anticipate potential risks or hazards?	· Conduct further analysis and research on migration. · Establishment of databases recording potential flow figures and further details of interest · Implement innovative and flexible policy design, capable of integrating research and responding to changing circumstances · Development of active communication channels

In addition, the European Commission’s report[3] which set out Europe’s new axes for managing migration was used as a map guide. In the Junker report, the following points are emphasised:

Reduction of irregular migration
Increase solidarity and awareness-raising actions
Crisis management within the Member States

Finally, the research performed at section B used the guiding principles of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) strategy [4] , which are:

Equal treatment of all people regardless of whether they find themselves in an emergency situation. Human rights should not be undermined and should be implemented in accordance with the EU’s International and European Charter of Fundamental Rights
Recognition of the universal right to asylum and the rights of persons in need of international protection
Transparency and accountability, with a view to establishing fair rules in decision-making processes
The involvement of all relevant bodies, in order to build a framework of synergies between the involved actors.

At level C, the latest developments occurring in the target country (MS) and at European level were explored. In more detail it was carried out:

The description of the current situation, within the framework of Strand 1.1. In the first stage we managed to collect information related to:
The mapping of the responsibilities and objectives of the stakeholders for migration in the RC
The analysis of statistical indicators related to the welfare state (e.g. health and education) and the labour market
The identification of good practices at a European level, that could contribute to the adoption of strategies and policy measures by the Republic of Cyprus
Την The analysis of the current situation, within the framework of Strand 1.2, where focus groups were conducted with stakeholders who are directly related to the management of the migration issue in the Republic of Cyprus. In doing so, they exchanged ideas on future policy measures that could be integrated into the existing Action Plan.

In particular, the analysis of the interviews and focus groups conducted by the University of Cyprus was also considered. Moreover, the research conducted in collaboration with UNHCR [5] was used to propose measures and actions, which were then integrated into intervention axes. On this basis, the following are highlighted:

[1] UNHCR, 2013. A new beginning. Refugee Integration in Europe, European Refugee Fund of the European Commission

[2] Ministerial Forum on Migration.(2019). Strategic Foresight Towards 2035: Making Migration and Integration Policies Future Ready. OECD [online]. Available at: https://www.oecd.org/migration/mig/migration-strategic-foresight.pdf

[3] Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή,2018 . Διαχείριση της μετανάστευσης ως προς όλες τις πτυχές της. [online] Διαθέσιμο σε: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/euco-migration-booklet-june2018_el.pdf

[4] EASO, 2018.Κατευθυντήριες γραμμές της EASO σχετικά με τον σχεδιασμό έκτακτης ανάγκης στο πλαίσιο της υποδοχής. EASO Practical Guides Series. Υπηρεσία Εκδόσεων Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. [online] Διαθέσιμο σε: https://easo.europa.eu/sites/default/files/EASO%20Guidance%20on%20contingency%20planning-EL.pdf

[5] UNCHR Cyprus. (2019). “What are Cypriots’ perceptions about refugees and migrants? Survey results presented today”. Available at: https://www.unhcr.org/cy/2019/03/08/what-are-cypriots-perceptions-about-refugees-and-migrants

The 8 Pillars of Intervention

In the light of the above, we have proceeded to formulation of 8 priority axes

Actions for the integration of legal TCNs in the Republic of Cyprus

Action Structure

1. For each action:

Reference is made to the objectives expected to be achieved by its implementation.
Reference is made to the European and global framework of conventions and agreements that define the operation of migration and refugee management in the RC
There is an explicit reference to elements of the management of the migration issue by the RC
Reference is made to the individual tasks that make up the Action and an indicative timetable for their implementation is proposed

2. For funding resources:

We will use the conceptual framework proposed by the new EU programming period, which suggests that the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund should shift towards actions related to the direct reception of beneficiaries

3. For the individual tasks of each Action:

A brief description of the scope and objective, as well as their and the European context to which they are relevant, is given.
An analysis of the proposed method of implementation
Indicate the implementing body as the providing authority responsible for each action
They are broken down into individual actions with the aim of achieving better implementation

4. Conditions-Maturity:

Reference is made to the context that shapes the conditions for the maturation of this action
It is linked to individual actions of the National Plan
It presents the exogenous conditions that create the framework for the development of the specific action

5. Cost of Implementation:

The following is a breakdown of the implementation costs based on the needs of each project, both from a theoretical and planning point of view. The graduation of implementation costs is as follows:

Without any additional implementation costs ( concerns internal projects)
0 -100.000 €
000 €-250.000 €
000 €-500.000 €
Above 000 €

Axis 1: RECOGNITION AND CERTIFICATION

Action 1 : Development of a prior learning recognition system (Recog. 1.1)
Action 2: Certification of Attainment in Greek (Recog. 1.2)

Axis 2: TRAINING OF MIGRANTS & OTHER TARGET GROUPS

Action 1: Greek language (Tra. 2.1)
Action 2: Summer Schools ( tra.. 2.2)
Action 3: Cultivation of basic skills (tra. 2.3)
Action 4: Labour Market Integration Programmes (tra. 2.4)
Action 5: Scholarship Programmes for Access to Higher Education (Tra. 2.5)

Axis 3: Awareness-raising in the Public Domain

Action 1: Awareness raising (Awa.3.1)

Axis 4: ACCESSIBILITY

Action 1: Empowerment of school units (Acc. 4.1)
Action 2: Local plans for social inclusion (Acc.4.2)
Action 3: Equitable health framework (Acc. 4.3)
Action 4: Modernisation of the financial assistance policy (Acc..4.4)
Action 5: Housing Programme (Acc. 4.5)

AXIS 5: COUNSELLING SUPPORT FOR MIGRANTS & OTHER TARGET GROUPS

Action 1: Migrant entrepreneurship incubators (Adv. 5.1)
Action 2: Reception counselling for migrants (Adv. 5.2)
Action 3: Migrant Counselling Centres (Adv. 5.3)

Axis 6: HUMAN RIGHTS

Action 1: Formulation of an anti-racism code (see .6.1)
Action 2: Strengthening the equality of women in society (Hum..6.2)
Action 3: Review of the legal framework for the provision of legal aid (Hum. 6.3)
Action 4: Family reunification and family unity for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection (Strand 6.4)
Action 5: Ensuring the equal integration of vulnerable groups of migrants (Hum. 6.5)

Axis 7: SUPPORTING TOOLS

Action 1: Strengthening of the screening procedures (Sup.7.1)
Action 2: Development and operation of the profiling mechanism (Sup. 7.2)
Action 3: Integrated social research grid on migration (Ref. 7.3)
Action 4: Mechanism for recording and addressing racist phenomena (Sup. 7.4)
Action 5: Strengthening the administrative capacity of the services involved in the integration cycle (Sup.. 7.5)
Action 6: Labour market needs analysis (Sup. 7.6)
Action 7: Integrated statistical information system on the migratory chain (Sup. 7.7)
Action 8: Formulating an effective legal framework for the integration of migrants (Sup. 7.8)
Action 9: Online platform for projects and good practices (Sup. 7.9)

Axis 8: ACTION PLAN MANAGEMENT MECHANISM

Action 1: Integration Mechanism (Mech. 8.1)

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3.8 Conclusions and Observations

Over the last decade, refugee flows and migration movements have been at the centre of global attention. In the Republic of Cyprus, the number of migrants and especially of asylum seekers has increased significantly in recent years.

Based on our data, it can be seen that the majority of migrants come from countries with a high Human Development Index. Aiming to provide an overview of the situation of migrants in Cyprus in terms of human development, we studied individually the statistics concerning the migrant groups in Cyprus, while analysing the quality of life in terms of health, housing, employment, access to social benefits, social integration and well-being for the period of migrants’ stay in Cyprus. The above development factors are sub-indicators of development for a country in order to reach conclusions on whether integration has been achieved or not.

More specifically, our analysis leads us to the following conclusions:

Labour: our report’s findings reveal that the largest share of migrants are on the threshold of unemployment.
Education: Our analysis concludes that migrants are not well informed by government or non-government agencies about language learning programmes, and furthermore they receive very limited vocational training programmes.
Healthcare: Our report shows that about one in three migrants were not satisfied with the medical care they received during hospitalization, and furthermore communication is a major challenge when participants interact with health professionals.
Housing: our analysis shows that, asylum seekers tend to stay in Reception Centres because they cannot afford to live independently in private accommodation. This leads to prolonged isolation from the local community.
Social Integration: Regarding social integration, the recognition and granting of rights has not been fulfilled to a satisfactory extent, social acceptance is characterised by moderate feelings and low rates and finally the acquisition of Cypriot citizenship is relatively low.
Social well-being: based on our report, many barriers are interfering between the Social Welfare Services and the applicants. These barriers include difficulty in completing forms, language problems, availability and the attitude of officials. However, the main problem identified is the long waiting times for receiving the final response, with almost 60% of applications being delayed for months before the decision is published.

The statistical analysis included an evaluation of the current situation of the migration and refugee issue in the RC, whereby interviews and focus groups were conducted to present proposals and solutions to be adopted by the RC to improve the social well-being of migrants and other target groups in the RC. The main conclusions that emerged were:

The development of a coherent monitoring mechanism that can oversee the Action Plan
The linking of actions with each other so that there is a “continuity” and a path towards integration and not just integration of migrants and other target groups in the RC
The adoption of measures following specific intervention axes in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the European Charter of Human Rights
Measures and sub-actions that are clearly defined and take into account the sensitive geopolitical position of the DR and its culture. In this sense, the National Plan does not seek to be a mock-up of other Plans or Good Practices, but to use this information as a raw material to formulate a new conceptual framework
The adoption of statistical indicators which will not only reflect the problem but will guide the RC to ensure maximum results for each individual action
The formulation of a new vision of integration which has a clear objective and a specific framework, without being a theoretical narrative.
The dynamic evolution and transition of societies to multicultural communities is an important element that is changing work and the whole Western welfare state as it has been shaped. Countries should follow this dynamic and adapt accordingly, aiming for a holistic policy and strategy of assimilation.

Annexes

Annex 1: Acronym

ABBREVIATIONS	Words
EU	EUROPEAN UNION
OECD	ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
ESF	EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND
AMIF	ASYLUM MIGRATION AND INTEGRATION FUND
CRMD	CIVIL REGISTRY AND MIGRATION DEPARTMENT
RC	REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS
ISF	INTERNAL SECURITY FUND
P.I	PEDAGOGICAL INSTITUTE
SEK	CYPRUS WORKERS CONFEDERATION
PEO	PANCYPRIAN FEDERATION OF LABOUR
DEOK	DEMOCRATIC LABOUR FEDERATION OF CYPRUS
ΟΕB	EMPLOYERS & INDUSTRIALISTS FEDERATION

Annex 2: Action Table

Indicatively, the funding sources and beneficiaries of the actions are listed in the table below:

AXIS 1: RECOGNITION & CERTIFICATION
ACTION	IMPLEMENTING ENTITY/IES		FUNDING
Action 1: Development of a prior learning identification system (Recog. 1.1)	Cyprus Human Resources Development Authority (HRDA)		AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 2: Certification of Attainment in Greek (Recog. 1.2)	Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth of Cyprus		AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
AXIS 2: TRAINING OF MIGRANTS & OTHER TARGET GROUPS
ACTION	IMPLEMENTING ENTITY/IES		FUNDING
Action 1: Greek language (tra. 2.1)	Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth of Cyprus Local Authorities Academic bodies		AMIF ERDF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 2: Summer Schools (tra. 2.2)	Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth of Cyprus Local Authorities Academic bodies		AMIF ERDF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 3: Cultivation of basic skills (tra. 2.3)	Vocational Training Centres Local Authorities		AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 4: Labour Market Integration Programmes (tra 2.4)	Vocational Training Centres Local Authorities		AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 5: Scholarship Programmes for Access to Higher Education (tra. 2.5)	State Scholarship Foundation Academic bodies		AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
AXIS 3: AWARENESS – RAISING IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
ACTION	IMPLEMENTING ENTITY/IES		FUNDING
Action 1: Awareness raising (Awa. 3.1)	Academy of Public Administration – Department of Public Administration and Personnel – Local Authorities Academic Bodies		AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
AXIS 4: ACCESSIBILITY
ACTION	IMPLEMENTING ENTITY/IES	FUNDING
Action 1: Empowerment of school units (Acc. 4.1)	Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth of Cyprus Academic bodies	AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 2: Local plans for social inclusion (Acc. 4.2)	Local Authorities	AMIF ERDF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 3: Equitable health framework (Acc. 4.3)	Ministry of Health- Health Insurance Organisation– Organization Public Health Services	AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 4: Modernisation of the financial assistance policy (Acc. 4.4.4)	Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance	AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 5: Housing Programme (Acc. 4.5)	Asylum Service	AMIF ERDF Other sources of (co)finance
AXIS 5: ADVISORY SUPPORT FOR MIGRANTS & OTHER TARGET GROUPS
ACTION	IMPLEMENTING ENTITY/IES	FUNDING
Action 1: Migrant entrepreneurship incubators (Adv. 5.1)	ΟΕΒ Cyprus Chamber Of Commerce and Industry Local Authorities	AMIF ERDF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 2: Counselling for the reception of migrants (Adv. 5.2)	Ministry of Interior	AMIF ERDF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 3: Migrant Counselling Centres (Co. 5.3)	Ministry of Interior Local Authorities	AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
AXIS 6: HUMAN RIGHTS
ACTION	IMPLEMENTING ENTITY/IES	FUNDING
Action 1: Formulation of an anti-racism code (Hum.6.1)	Ministry of Interior	AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 2: Strengthening women’s equality in society (Hum. 6.2)	Ministry of Justice Equality Commissioner- Social partners responsible for gender-based violence issues	AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 3: Review of the legal framework for the provision of legal aid (Hum. 6.3)	Legislative Commissioner	AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 4: Family reunification for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection (Hum. 6.4)	Ministry of Interior	AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 5: Ensuring the equal integration of vulnerable groups of migrants (Hum. 6.5)	Ministry of Justice Ministry of the Interior Social partners responsible for gender-based violence for LGBTIQ issues	AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
AXIS 7: SUPPORTING TOOLS
ACTION	IMPLEMENTING ENTITY/IES	FUNDING
Action 1: Strengthening of screening procedures (Sup .7.1)	Asylum Service	AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 2: Development and operation of a profiling mechanism (Sup. 7.2)	Civil Registry and Migration Department	AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 3: Integrated social research grid on migration (Sup. 7.3)	Civil Registry and Migration Department Academic community	AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 4: Mechanism for recording and addressing racist phenomena (Sup. 7.4)	Ministry of Justice Ministry of the Interior	AMIF ERDF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 5: Strengthening the administrative capacity of the services involved in the integration cycle (Sup. 7.5)	Cyprus Academy of Public Administration Department of Public Administration and Personnel Local Authorities	AMIF ERDF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 6: Labour market needs analysis (Sup. 7.6)	Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance	AMIF ERDF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 7: Integrated statistical information system on the migratory circuit (Sup. 7.7)	Statistical Service Ministry of Interior	AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 8: Formulating an effective legal framework for the integration of migrants (Sup. 7.8)	Civil Registry and Immigration Department Legislation Commissioner	AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
Action 9: Online platform for projects and good practices (Suo. 7.9)	UNHCR in Cyprus Civil Registry and Migration Department	AMIF Other sources of (co)finance
AXIS 8: ACTION PLAN MANAGEMENT MECHANISM
Action	IMPLEMENTING ENTITY/IES	FUNDING
Action 1: Integration Mechanism (Mech. 8.1)	Civil Registry and Migration Department	AMIF Other sources of (co)finance