#21 Inside Cyprus: How Migration and Geopolitics Collide on a Divided Island

Get the enhanced episode transcript here 👉🏻 https://www.emmanuel-comte.eu/product/enhanced-transcript-21/.

In this episode of States and Migration: The Human Movement Podcast, Emmanuel Comte speaks with Nicos Nouris, former Minister of Interior of Cyprus, to examine the country’s response to the ongoing migration crisis in Cyprus. Nouris provides a firsthand account of how Cyprus has managed irregular migration routes, addressed rising criminal networks, and confronted structural challenges posed by Schengen Area exclusion. The discussion explores the role of the Green Line in Cyprus—a de facto internal EU border—through which the majority of irregular arrivals occur, and considers the broader geopolitical implications of Turkey–EU relations, including alleged settlement strategies and cross-border trafficking. This revealing conversation offers rare insights into how migration, sovereignty, and European integration collide on a divided island at the crossroads of three continents.

This interview was arranged and edited by Andriana Lagoudes. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No 101034403.