Cyprus’s Law Office reported that only 3,193 new cases were filed with the Administrative Court of International Protection in 2025—a 48 % year-on-year drop and the steepest decline since the court’s creation. Appeals by foreign nationals in the ordinary Administrative Court also fell 13 %. Officials attribute the fall to tougher border policing along the UN buffer zone and fast-track rejection procedures introduced last summer. Yet the caseload remains daunting: 6,390 files were still pending on 1 January 2026, equivalent to more than three years of current throughput. Applicants from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria and Cameroon dominate dockets, reflecting shifting migration routes through the Eastern Mediterranean. Only 68 asylum appeals succeeded in 2025, underscoring Cyprus’s restrictive protection stance compared with other EU states. For global employers moving non-EU talent into Cyprus, the data signal potentially quicker processing of work-permit applications as court resources free up—but also a harder line on humanitarian and family-reunification filings. Mobility teams should audit any pending asylum-linked applications and adjust contingency plans.
Source: Cyprus Mail
