Experts from the European Commission are expected to visit Cyprus next week to hold contacts with the Cypriot authorities on the rising refugee and migrant flows towards the island.

A ministerial committee on crisis management that convened on Thursday, discussed the possibility of a new massive migration flow that could be caused by a new crisis in the region and whether the relevant plan implemented by the Cypriot authorities, called “Nafkratis”, would be adequate to handle it.

Cyprus is making a two-fold effort with regard to the refugee and migrant crisis, Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides told reporters after the meeting of the committee.

“A group of experts from the European Commission will arrive in Cyprus next week to discuss with the competent departments of the state specific measures and actions that Cyprus will put forward in order for new programs to be co-financed due to the rising flows” the Minister explained. He added that the EU’s migration policy is under discussion both at the Council of the EU and the European Council, noting however the member states do not seem to agree on a European policy “as we and the other first line countries would like it to be”.

Cyprus currently hosts 15.000 asylum seekers and protection status holders, accounting for 2% of its population.