Syria Return for Unaccompanied Minor Offenders

Unaccompanied minors involved in criminal activities in Cyprus will be returned to Syria, as they are considered a danger to public order. According to reports, the first five minors have already left voluntarily.

Approximately 30 minors from Syria, housed in structures of the Deputy Ministry of Welfare in Larnaca and Paphos, have been identified as individuals causing problems. They are involved in criminal cases, such as theft and robbery, or cause disturbances in the accommodation facilities.

The Ministry of Justice, in cooperation with the Deputy Ministries of Migration and Social Welfare, has undertaken coordinated actions to return these individuals to Syria. Over a thousand unaccompanied minors reside in Cyprus, but only a small number are involved in criminal cases. Authorities have warned that those arrested for criminal acts will be returned to their country.

Contacts were made with the Syrian regime, and minors who do not comply with the laws will be returned to their parents or relatives. These are not deportations but voluntary returns to avoid prosecution.

Minister Marios Hartsiotis and Deputy Ministers Nikolas Ioannidis and Marilena Evangelou are coordinating efforts to separate the problematic individuals and return them to Syria, so that the remaining minors can reside under normal living conditions.