The General Objective of the AMIF policy is to contribute to the efficient management of migration flows and the implementation, enhancement and development of common asylum and migration policy, according to the acquis and fully observing the international obligations of the Union and its Member States, which arise from international acts in which the Member States are contractual parties.

The Fund pursues the following specific objectives:

1. Enhancement and Development of a Common European Asylum System
Enhancement and Development in all the aspects of Common European Asylum System, including the external dimension with actions as per below:

• Carrying out asylum procedures according to the asylum acquis.
• Assurance of a uniform implementation of the EU acquis and the priorities that are bound to the Common European Asylum System.
• Support of the capability of the asylum systems of the Member States that deal with infrastructures and services whenever it is applicable, among others on a local and regional level.
• Creation or improvement of reception and accommodation infrastructures.

2. Enhancement and development of legal migration and facilitation of integration and inclusion
Enhancement and development of legal migration towards the Member States, according to their economic and social needs and the promotion/facilitation of an effective integration and inclusion of third-countries citizens with actions as per below:

• Integration measures, like the support especially adapted to the needs of third-country citizens and integration programmes that focus on the counselling, education, language lessons and any other training, like the civic orientation and career counselling lessons.
• Cooperation among governmental and non-governmental bodies based on single methods, among others through coordinated integration-support centres, as the one-stop shops.
• Actions that constitute the integration possible, support the active participation of third-country citizens in the society of reception, and promote the acceptance by the reception society.
• Capacity development of the integration services that are provided by the local authorities and other interested parties.

3. Mitigation of illegal migration and enhancement of return/ readmission and reintegration to the third countries
Contribution to the mitigation of the illegal migration, the enhancement of an effective, secure, and decent return and readmission, as well as the promotion and contribution to the effective initial reintegration to the third countries acting as per below:

• Creation and enhancement of independent and effective control systems of compulsory returns, as it is stated on the article 8, paragraph 6 of the Directive 2008/115/ΕC.
• Preparation of return, including the measures that lead to the adoption of return decisions, the data identification of third countries citizens, the sponsorship of travel documents and the tracing of family members.
• Return aid, specifically for the assisted voluntary return, and information related to the programmes of assisted voluntary return, among others through the provision of special children guidance in the context of return procedures.
• Removal operations, including related measures, according to the templates as they have been defined in the Union law excluding the support for coercion equipment.
• Measures for supporting the sustainable return and integration of the returnee, including the provision of incentives in cash, training, job search assistance, as well as the support for starting financial activities.

4. Solidarity and equitable distribution among the Member States
Enhancement of solidarity and equitable distribution of responsibilities among the Member States, especially when it deals with Member States that are more affected by the challenges that are related to the migration and asylum, among others through the cooperation practice with actions as per below:

• Execution of voluntary transfer from one Member State to the other, either for applicants for international protection or beneficiaries of international protection.

The Regulations of the new Funds were adopted by the competent institutions of the European Union (Council of the EU, European Commission and European Parliament) on 15 July 2021. Following the practice of the Programming Periods 2007-2013 and 2014-2020, each Fund has its own multiannual Programme. In general, the projects shall be implemented mainly through shared management with a maximum contribution of 75% by the European Union (other than some specific cases where the percentage may be up to 100%), while 25% shall be paid by national resources. The Programme for Cyprus for the AMIF has been approved on January 19, 2023 .

Watch the videos prepared by the European Commission for the new funds at the Home Affairs Funds' videos link and read more about the new Programming Period 2021-2027 in the presentation on AMIF made by the European Funds Unit at the Sixth Monitoring Committee of the Home Affairs Funds 2014-2020, on 30/11/2021.