Cyprus, along with Ireland, is the only EU member state that has not yet joined the Europe’s borderless travel area. After years of preparation and the implementation of 120 technical recommendations, Nicosia received a positive assessment from the European Commission in July, confirming its technical readiness.
Technical Recommendations and Existing Obstacles
These recommendations, which were part of the EU assessments since 2021, included areas such as border control, visa policy, access to European security databases, and police cooperation. Implementing these recommendations required technological upgrades as well as legal and administrative reforms. On October 1, Nicholas Ivanidis, the Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection of Cyprus, confirmed that "all of the European Commission's recommendations are now considered implemented."
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Joining Schengen requires a unanimous decision from the Council of the European Union after consultation with the European Parliament. However, information obtained indicates that Austria and the Netherlands have shown informal reluctance due to security concerns related to the Green Line, which divides the island of Cyprus.
The Green Line and Border Issues
The Green Line, which is about 180 kilometers long, has divided Cyprus since Turkey's military intervention in 1974. This line separates the areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus from the northern part controlled by Turkey. The buffer zone is monitored by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), and the Green Line itself is not recognized as an international border.
Crossings between the two sides occur at nine designated points and are subject to specific EU regulations. This unique situation has become a challenge for Cyprus's membership in Schengen, as the Republic of Cyprus does not have effective control over the entire length of the Green Line. Nicosia also rejects any arrangement that could turn the Green Line into an external border, whether legally or symbolically.
Dr. Nazia Hadjiyorgiou, a lecturer in human rights and transitional justice at UCLan Cyprus, states: "The issue raised by some Schengen countries is that the Republic of Cyprus does not have full control over the entire length of the Green Line. It may control the crossing points, but there are also areas of land that remain open." Changes need to be made for this country to be considered as having full control.
Another obstacle facing Cyprus is the presence of British sovereign base areas in Akrotiri and Dhekelia, which remained under British sovereignty at the time of Cyprus's independence in 1960. These two areas cover a total of 254 square kilometers (about 3 percent of the island) and are still British territory.
The main complexity relates to the Dhekelia area, which borders the territory controlled by the Republic of Cyprus and the internationally unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Two crossing points are located in this area, and their control is under British authorities. The UK is no longer a member of the EU.
Efforts to Enhance Cooperation
Nicosia and the British sovereign base areas have entered negotiations to update border control procedures at the crossing points, especially in Pergamos and Strovilia, to comply with EU requirements. Meanwhile, Nicosia has increased its diplomatic efforts to garner the necessary consensus.
On October 1, the Deputy Minister of Migration, Nicholas Ivanidis, met with his counterparts from Austria, the Netherlands, and Finland on the sidelines of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, where Cyprus's accession to Schengen was among the topics discussed. Cyprus also received significant political support on October 7 at the MED9 meeting of nine Mediterranean EU member states in Croatia.
However, diplomatic sources warn that despite positive signals, Cyprus's entry into the Schengen Area should not be considered a foregone conclusion. These sources suggest that the EU may want to wait for the outcome of ongoing efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue before making a decision that could create additional political and practical complexities.
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