Caritas Cyprus was honoured to host, together with Caritas Italiana, MigraMed 2026 this October. Promoted by Caritas Italiana since 2010, MigraMed is a forum on human mobility that brings together practitioners, institutions and civil society actors for dialogue on the challenges and opportunities of migration in the broader Mediterranean context. Recognizing the role Cyprus plays on multiple levels–and its leadership in the implementation of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum–this year’s session was organized on the island and explored ‘borders and walls’ through a comparative perspective and given recent regional developments. It also reflected on the care of minors, which was the theme proposed by Pope Leo XIV for this year’s World Day of Migrants and Refugees.
The conference opened with remarks from Italian Ambassador Antonella Cavallari, Deputy Minister for Migration Dr. Nicholas Ioannides and Nicosia Mayor Charalambos Prountzos. Keynote speakers Dr. Harry Tzimitras of PRIO Cyprus and UNHCR Representative in Cyprus Ms. Leslie Ester Velez set the context for a series of panels that allowed the group to explore global trends, universal rights, regional challenges and Cypriot experiences. A study visit took the MigraMed group to the UN Buffer Zone where they met with UNFICYP representatives and walked Nicosia’s “Green Line” and a field visit to Larnaca included stops at the historical sites of St. Lazarus, Hala Sulta Tekke and Our Lady of Graces church. The closing ceremony took place on the Finikoudes Pier where the group commemorated those lost while making the perilous journey to safety in Europe.
