Migration and labor trends in Cyprus

Cyprus has seen a significant shift in its migration landscape. Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection Nikolas Ioannides reported a 92% decrease in irregular migration arrivals compared to 2022. This decline is attributed to enhanced surveillance of the Green Line, increased maritime patrols, and faster asylum application processing. Consequently, the population at the Pournara Reception and Hostility Centre has dropped from over 3,000 to 142 residents.

Simultaneously, the country is managing a high volume of legal migration to address labor shortages in the construction, tourism, agriculture, and service sectors. As of late August 2026, over 60,000 third-country nationals are legally employed, with significant populations from Nepal and India. To maintain this workforce, the government has established bilateral mobility agreements with countries such as Egypt and India.

However, the use of temporary employment agencies has drawn criticism from trade unions SEK and PEO. Unions argue that certain agencies ‘rent’ personnel, a practice they claim undermines local labor rights. Some members of parliament have further linked these agency practices to potential human trafficking, prompting calls for increased government inspections.