Switzerland and Cyprus sign migration cooperation agreement
Bern-Wabern, 21.11.2025 — On 21 November 2025, Switzerland and Cyprus signed a framework agreement in Nicosia on the implementation of a bilateral migration cooperation programme. The agreement forms part of Switzerland's second contribution to selected EU member states. A budget of CHF 10 million has been allocated to support projects in the areas of accommodation, voluntary return and integration.
The agreement was signed on the Swiss side by Hendrick Krauskopf, Deputy Director of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), and on the Cypriot side by Dr Nicholas Ioannides, Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection. The agreement had already been approved by the Federal Council on 27 August 2025.
The CHF 10 million will be allocated to projects carried out with international partners. In collaboration with the non-governmental organisation Hope for Children, the contribution will finance accommodation facilities for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers (UMAs). In addition, the funds will be used to support vulnerable migrants in preparing for their voluntary return from Cyprus, in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and to implement a migrant integration strategy developed by Cyprus’s migration department and the IOM.
Switzerland is thus continuing its bilateral cooperation with Cyprus in the field of migration. The first phase, which began in 2022 and is set to conclude in 2026, is also funded with CHF 10 million. Along with Greece, Cyprus has one of the highest numbers of asylum seekers per capita in Europe. Given its geographical location, long-term support for Cyprus is considered essential.
As part of its second contribution to selected EU member states (2022–29), Switzerland has allocated CHF 190 million to support migration projects in countries particularly affected by migration flows. The projects focus on improving asylum procedures and infrastructure, supporting voluntary return and reintegration, and developing migrant integration strategies with the aim of preventing secondary migration.