The House of Representatives has ratified an agreement between Cyprus and Lebanon for the re-entry of persons who enter or reside illegally in the territory of any of the two countries.

The House also approved a protocol for the implementation of the agreement.

The agreement was signed in Nicosia on July 19, 2002 and the protocol on May 15 in 2008.

The purpose of the agreement is to facilitate the re-entry of persons who enter or reside illegally in the territory of either contracting party.

The protocol defines the procedures for the re-entry of these persons, the means of identifying them, the competent authorities from each country which will deal with such matters as well as the documentation relating to the agreement.

The legislation on this issue aims to tackle the problem of illegal immigration by facilitating the deportation process.

The House heard, during Thursday’s plenary, that agreements such as the one with Lebanon are a very useful tool for the government in its fight against illegal immigration.

To date, the Cypriot authorities had to consult with the Lebanese authorities on each individual case of an illegal Lebanese national immigrant.