Parliamentary committee begins discussion on new asylum and migration legislation

The parliamentary interior committee has commenced discussions on a proposed legislative overhaul regarding asylum and migration management. This new legislation, consisting of approximately 240 pages, was submitted on March 6 to align domestic law with the European Pact on Migration and Asylum. Aristo Damianou, the committee chairman and member of AKEL, confirmed that the session involves testimony from government ministries, relevant services, and civil society organizations. Concerns have been raised by rights advocacy groups and the Commissioner for Children's Rights regarding specific provisions within the bill. Due to the impending dissolution of parliament, officials indicated that the legislative review may be completed by the subsequent parliamentary session. The committee aims to address the feedback provided by various stakeholders while maintaining consensus on the core aspects of the proposal. Further examination of the raised objections is scheduled for the coming days.