UNHCR Cyprus

09/10/2026

Join us on 24 October to celebrate !

Meet Tina Oikonomidou, an Assistant Programme Officer at UNHCR Cyprus.

She shares how they are working to strengthen asylum systems to make them fair and efficient.

To learn more about the work of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and other United Nations entities on the island join us to celebrate !

📍 Outside Ledra Palace
📅 24 October
🕐 1-5 PM

This is a space for everyone: Bring your friends and family! Come with your questions, your ideas, and your curiosity.

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08/10/2026

On 7 and 8 October, UNHCR Cyprus participated in MigraMed 2026, a forum on human mobility promoted by Caritas Italiana since 2010 and organised this year in Cyprus together with Caritas Cyprus-Κοινωνία.

Marking the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, UNHCR Representative Leslie Esther Vélez reflected on its particular resonance in Cyprus, given the country’s own experience of displacement. Situated at the EU’s external border and close to some of the world’s most persistent displacement crises, Cyprus recorded, for consecutive years, the highest number of asylum applications in the EU relative to its population. With arrivals now considerably lower, Vélez stressed the opportunity to move from managing pressure towards building a stronger and more sustainable asylum system.

UNHCR also joined IOM and EUAA in a panel discussion on the Eastern Mediterranean and the situation of forcibly displaced persons in Cyprus.

06/10/2026

Celebrate with us on 24 October!

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29/09/2026

UNHCR Cyprus participated today in the Cyprus Forum 2026 panel “Migration Governance at the EU Frontline: Protection, Capacity, Integration, and the Role of Cyprus”, with Mediterranean Migration and Asylum Policy Hub (MedMa) as knowledge partner. The panel also brought together Dr. Nicholas A. Ioannides, Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection, and Ms. Elizabeth Kassinis, Executive Manager of Caritas Cyprus.

The discussion explored how Cyprus, as an EU frontline Member State, can respond effectively to contemporary mixed movements while safeguarding access to international protection and promoting a successful integration policy.

UNHCR stressed the need for fair and effective asylum systems, emphasizing that effective migration management and international protection are not mutually exclusive but can reinforce one another. Marking 75 years of the 1951 Refugee Convention, UNHCR also highlighted its enduring relevance, particularly in Cyprus, with its own lived experience of displacement.

15/09/2026

Courtesy Meeting with UNHCR Cyprus Representative Ms Leslie Esther Velez.

04/09/2026

Thank you to the Ambassador of Romania and the Ambasada României în Republica Cipru/Romania in the Republic of Cyprus for the warm welcome and continued engagement with UNHCR.

We value our cooperation and look forward to continuing to work together in support of refugees and asylum-seekers in Cyprus.

07/08/2026

“Human stories matter. They give meaning to facts, depth to public debate and dignity to experiences that are too often reduced to numbers or labels.”

UNHCR was pleased to support the screening of 'A Fox Under a Pink Moon' at the Lemesos International Documentary Festival— a powerful documentary following Soraya, a young Afghan artist, as she shares her experience of displacement, resilience and the search for safety.

Marking the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, Leslie Esther Vélez, UNHCR Representative in Cyprus, reflected on the particular resonance of refugee protection in Cyprus, where many families have their own experience of displacement, separation and rebuilding their lives.

“Behind every asylum application is a person with a name, a voice and a story worth hearing.”

Find out more about Soraya’s story on the film’s website:
https://afoxunderapinkmoon.com/

06/08/2026

🎬 Join us this evening at the Lemesos International Documentary Festival for the screening of A Fox Under a Pink Moon, supported by UNHCR Cyprus.
Filmed over five years, the documentary follows Soraya, a young Afghan artist, as she navigates displacement, an abusive marriage and repeated attempts to reach safety in Europe. Through her art, she shares a powerful story of courage, resilience and hope.

📅 Today, 6 August
🕡 18:30
📍 Ceronia Hall, Lanitis Carob Mill Complex, Limassol
🎟 Find ticket information here:
https://filmfestival.com.cy/tickets

We hope to see you there!

03/08/2026

75 leading figures from across society have joined UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in launching The Promise, a global statement of solidarity with refugees.

Forged in the aftermath of the Second World War, the 1951 Refugee Convention enshrined a simple yet profound promise: that every person, no matter who they are or where they are from, has the right to seek and enjoy safety from persecution.
Together with its 1967 Protocol, the Convention remains the foundation of refugee protection, defining who is a refugee, outlining the rights and assistance refugees are entitled to receive and setting international standards for their protection.
The Convention gives refugees specific rights to ensure they can live in safety and dignity, while solutions are pursued, and outlines their obligations to the host country.

The Promise is a public statement of solidarity, bringing together prominent figures from across society to reaffirm support for refugees and the right to seek safety.Launched on 28 July, as the Refugee Convention marks its 75th anniversary, it aims to build a diverse coalition for refugee protectio...

28/07/2026

75 Years of Lives Changed

2026 marks the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees – the cornerstone of international refugee protection.

Cyprus knows from its own history the importance of protection for those forced to flee. At the EU’s external border, Cyprus plays a vital role in upholding the right to seek asylum.

75 years of lives changed 75 years of lives changed 2026 marks the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees – the cornerstone of international refugee protection. © UNHCR/Hélène Caux For 75 years, the convention has helped save lives, protect rights and provide...