Cyprus has carried out its first joint forced-return flight for third-country nationals residing illegally in the country in cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, police said.
The operation took place on 26 August and resulted in the repatriation of 51 third-country nationals.
According to a police statement, the group included 35 third-country nationals who had been residing illegally in the Republic of Cyprus, 15 returned by the Greek authorities and one by the Bulgarian authorities.
The joint return flight was organised by the Aliens and Immigration Service with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection.
Authorities in Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria participated in the operation.
Police said that from the beginning of 2026 until 26 August, a total of 6,027 third-country nationals had been repatriated by the Cypriot authorities through voluntary and forced return procedures.
The operation marks the first joint return flight organised from Cyprus in cooperation with Frontex as part of efforts to manage irregular migration and enforce return decisions.
Source: CNA
