Cyprus continues to implement emergency measures to reduce overcrowding in Central Prisons.
According to official data, there are currently about 1,120 people in the country's penitentiary institutions, with a significant portion of the prisoners being foreign citizens. A significant percentage of them are persons under investigation and awaiting a court decision.
The situation is of serious concern to the authorities, since conditions of detention with such a number of prisoners are becoming increasingly difficult. Reportedly, the government has already begun active interaction with the Prosecutor General of the Republic and the Ministry of Justice for a comprehensive assessment of the situation. The goal is to get a complete picture of each prisoner: country of origin, nature of the offense and stage of the trial.
The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, in an interview with local media, said that the Ministry of Migration Affairs is considering the option of voluntary deportation of foreign prisoners. We are talking primarily about those who have not been convicted of serious crimes. The possibility of releasing about a hundred foreign citizens in custody without serious charges is also being discussed.
All foreign prisoners whose crimes are not classified as serious will either be deported or returned to their countries of origin, the president said. At the same time, they will be prohibited from re-entering the territory of the Republic of Cyprus - the relevant persons will be added to the stop list.
In parallel with short-term measures, the authorities are preparing a larger reform of the Central Prisons. These are structural changes aimed at addressing chronic problems in the system, including overcrowding, conditions and institutional management.
According to government officials, the goal of the reforms is not only to temporarily decongest prisons, but also to create a more sustainable and efficient model for the functioning of the penitentiary system in the long term. Particular attention is planned to be paid to the legal status of foreign prisoners and the acceleration of procedures related to the consideration of their cases.
The increase in the number of prisoners has become a serious challenge for Cyprus, especially against the backdrop of migration processes in recent years. Prison overcrowding affects not only prison conditions, but also security, staff performance and human rights.
The authorities emphasize that the measures taken are not aimed at tightening, but at streamlining the system and reducing the load. Additional decisions are expected in the near future, which should balance humanitarian principles, public safety and the effectiveness of the penal system.
Thus, the issue of prison overcrowding in Cyprus goes beyond a domestic problem and becomes part of a broader debate about migration policy, justice and social responsibility of the state.
Source: alphanews.live
