If you are passing from the northern part of the island to the Republic of Cyprus as most people do, Cyprus will bethe first country you have reached in the European Union. Therefore, the threat of being deported due to Dublin regulations does not apply to you.
How does the Dublin-regulation work?
Usually, the authorities will take your fingerprints upon registration to compare them with data from other EU-countries in the computerized system called Eurodac. The authorities will also ask you, which way you arrived (your travel route). Based on this information, they will decide if they are responsible to process your asylum application or if another EU-country (that you passed through earlier) is responsible for that. If they find your fingerprint or any other information to prove that you have been in another EU-country they will ask this country to take you back. If this country does not refuse within the legal time frame or does not answer at all, you will receive a letter informing you about your scheduled deportation.
How does the Dublin-regulation apply in Cyprus?
Dublin-regulation applies in two direction: for transferring cases to another member state, or for deporting individuals from another member state to Cyprus.
How does the Dublin regulation apply for deportation to Cyprus?
Usually, other member states of the EU are deporting people back to the Republic of Cyprus. This is done if someone is found to have already applied for asylum in Cyprus, and has continued on to apply somewhere else in the EU. This is rare in Cyprus. For example, in 2022, only 10 individuals were transferred back to Cyprus.. Almost all Dublin returnees are detained in the Republic of Cyprus upon arrival due to closed files or elapsed deadlines for appeal. A reopening of the case is very difficult. In some cases Dublin returnees have been detained for years.
How does the Dublin regulation apply for transfers to another member state?
The applicant is interviewed by Dublin Unit of the Asylum Service and all documents and information are collected in collaboration with them. For unaccompanied minors, both the interview and family tracing are done in the presence and with the collaboration of the Social Welfare Service’s officers.
All asylum seekers applying for asylum aged 14 and over as well as their dependants, also aged 14 and over, are systematically fingerprinted and checked in Eurodac. There is no specific policy in place for cases where applicants refuse to be fingerprinted, nor have there been cases to indicate such practice.
The Dublin procedure is systematically applied in all cases; when lodging an application for asylum, the applicant also fills in a Dublin questionnaire where they have to state any previous travel or any relatives present in another Member State.
When another EU Member State accepts responsibility for the case, it will take on average three to six months before the transfer occurs. Asylum seekers are not detained for the purpose of transfers, whereas the actual transfer takes place under supervision or when necessary, under escort.
The majority of cases are not challenged by asylum seekers, as they are related to family unity reasons and the asylum seekers’ preference is to not remain in Cyprus.