Switzerland gifts Cyprus money for migrant return centre

The Swiss government on Wednesday announced it had gifted Cyprus CHF1.05 million (€1.1m) for the construction of a voluntary return centre for migrants.

The centre will be operated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in cooperation with the Cypriot migration department.

The Swiss government said the grant will “contribute to the construction of accommodation facilities for asylum seekers wishing to return to their countries of origin.”

In the same announcement, they said they will also finance the construction of a rare diseases centre, which is set to cost CHF2m (€2.1m).

“The building will provide holistic, integrated psychosocial support and disease management for people living with rare diseases and their families.”

The agreements for both projects were signed by the Cypriot finance ministry’s acting permanent secretary Andreas Zachariades and the Swiss ambassador in Nicosia Christoph Burgener.