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Larnaca Incidents: Asylum Removed from Involved Foreign Nationals

Published January 23, 2026, 13:16
Larnaca Incidents: Asylum Removed from Involved Foreign Nationals

The Cypriot Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection has revoked the international protection status from Palestinians involved in the January 17th incidents in Larnaca. This move is based on new legislation allowing the removal of protection from foreign nationals who commit criminal offenses. The Cypriot government states that it is implementing a strict migration policy with zero tolerance for criminal behavior, aiming to safeguard public order and national security. The Deputy Minister of Migration, Dr. Nikolaos Ioannidis, mentioned that the new legislation, passed in December, gives the authorities the tool to remove protection from individuals who pose a risk to public safety, in accordance with European and international law. The process of removing protection and repatriating convicted foreign nationals has already begun and will continue, with an emphasis on cases not involving serious crimes such as murder or drug offenses.