A delegation from the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) visited Cyprus from 5 to 9 October 2026 as the first step in preparing a monitoring report. During the visit, carried out within the framework of ECRI’s seventh country monitoring cycle, the delegation gathered information on preventing and combating hate speech and hate crime, and on ensuring equal treatment and inclusion in education and healthcare.

During the visit to Cyprus, the ECRI delegation met with representatives of the Government, law enforcement bodies, as well as with relevant independent authorities and judicial institutions. It also met representatives of international organisations, civil society organisations and persons affiliated with groups of concern to ECRI.

In addition, the delegation visited the 18^th primary school of Limassol - Ayios Antonios as well as the Limassol Intercultural Council and the Municipal Centre for Social programmes.

Following this visit, ECRI will adopt a report in which it will make a new set of recommendations on the measures the authorities should take to address racism and intolerance in the country. The implementation of two priority recommendations will be reviewed 18 months after the publication of the report as part of ECRI’s interim follow-up procedure.

In its previous, sixth-cycle report on Cyprus, among other recommendations, ECRI recommended that the authorities revise the criminal legislation pertaining to hate speech, including remedies available to victims, and provide without delay suitable training to police officers, prosecutors and judges on how to make the best use of the existing legal provisions on combating hate crime.

It also recommended that the Cypriot authorities prepare a national LGBTI strategy, accompanied by a national action plan, with a sufficient separate budget for its implementation and with enhanced action against intolerance against LGBTI persons among its key elements.

For more information on previous ECRI reports on Cyprus, please visit ECRI’s country monitoring page.