Author
According to the Refugee Law, the Head of the Asylum Service withdraws refugee status if it is found that:[1]
- The misrepresentation or omission of facts, including the use of false documents, on behalf of the person, was decisive for the granting of refugee status;
- The person should have been or is excluded from being a refugee in accordance with the exclusion clause under Article 5 of the Refugee Law;
- There are reasonable grounds for regarding the person as a danger to the security of the Republic; or
- The person concerned constitutes a danger to the Cypriot community, having been convicted by a final judgment of a particularly serious crime.
Regarding beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, the status is withdrawn if the Head of the Asylum Service finds in retrospect, based on events that are revealed and after the status has been granted, that the misrepresentation or omission of facts, including the use of false documents on behalf of the person, was decisive for the granting of subsidiary protection status.[2]
The same procedure as that for Cessation is followed.
There is no available data on the number of withdrawals of international protection, however there are indications that approximately 11 withdrawals took place in 2021 due to misrepresentation or omission of facts that were decisive for the granting of refugee status or reasonable grounds for regarding the person as a danger to the security of the Republic or, having been convicted by a final judgment of a particularly serious crime.
In 2022 according to statistics,[3] refugee status was withdrawn in 2 cases, concerning 5 persons and subsidiary protection was withdrawn in 15 cases, concerning 28 persons.
There are no statistics or information available on the success rate of appeals or legal aid applications against withdrawal decisions.
[1] Article 6A Refugee Law.
[2] Article 19(3A) Refugee Law.
[3] Based on statistics issued by the Cyprus Asylum Service.