Sneak peek: EU deports Syrians under the guise of voluntary returns

For the past year, The New Arab has been looking into Cyprus’s Voluntary Return Program, the country’s flagship project meant to support individuals who want to return to their home country “in an organised, safe, and dignified manner”.

But our investigation, led by researchers Anas Ambri and Hope Barker, reveals a different reality.

Next week, we will publish our findings which reveal how the Cypriot interior ministry uses coercion and deceit to pressure individuals into voluntary returns — especially Syrian asylum seekers — at the expense of the country’s obligations under the European Convention of Human Rights. Watch this space.