A considerable number of asylum seekers have arrived in the Republic of Cyprus this year. Their massive arrival, especially until spring, has motivated a heated debate about the limits of reception in the country. ‘Euronews Witness’ went to hear very different points of view.
Many in Chipre They fear that the arrival of immigrantsmostly Muslims, raise not only socioeconomic and security problemsbut also an identity, demographic and even existential threat for the country, whose north has been occupied by the Turkish army since 1974.
“The population of Cyprus is about 800,000 people. If we have 250,000 foreigners here, it means that 25% or 30% are foreigners. If we cannot tell them to leave because of the policies of the European Union, it means that within ten years, as they bring their wives and children, there will be more than a million. We would become a Lebanon. We want to remain Greek Cypriots here in Cyprus,” said Christakis Meleties, head of the Kokkinotrimithia local council.
“Every day someone dies”
The Council is close to the Pournara First Reception Center, the place that welcomes immigrants as soon as they arrive in the Republic of Cyprus. “Every day you heard about someone dead. Someone murdered, someone dead, someone had a bomb… I left that to get rights and peace, and freedom. I have dreams. I have a future,” said a asylum seeker 18-year-old who fled Yemen.
Asylum seekers with admissible applications They are sent to a second camp in the southern town of Kofinou. Currently, about 800 residents receive shelter, food, education, medicine, pocket money and They can go out freely during the day.
In response to recent massive arrivals of Syrians, the camp is expanding. The Government also has suspended the examination of all asylum applications from Syrian citizens for 14 months.
Once outside the camp, asylum seekers receive a monthly allowance and are encouraged to join. But, to avoid a greater influx, the Government prohibits them from looking for work for 9 months following their arrival.
Newcomers cannot work
Without legal work or family networks, many depend on charity centers to get clothes or school supplies: “Everyone assumes that, since most immigrants have cell phones and smartphones and there is a lot of information, they know everything, but that is not the case. Because the traffickers or are given bad information by people along the way, including the idea that if you have a child in Cyprus or the European Union, that child is automatically granted EU residency or citizenship, and it is not like this,” explains Elizabeth VV. Kassini, executive director of Caritas Cyprus.
Furthermore, a religious problem
The Orthodox Church of Cyprus has a very clear point of view on immigration. He accuses Turkey of trying to alter the country’s demographics: “Most of them (asylum seekers) has another religion. This also affects our society. Besides, we are a place with enough problems already, and We cannot handle such a high percentage of foreigners. who come here,” said Archbishop Georgios, spiritual leader of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus.
Under pressure from the Church, the extreme right and growing social discontentthe Government works to increase voluntary returns. Cyprus is the 4th EU country in voluntary returnssays the Minister of the Interior. Now he wants to continue moving forward: “We firmly believe that we must combat the illegal immigrationbecause we think that Member States should decide – under international law – who will cross their borders, and not groups of smugglers and traffickers,” explained Konstantinos Ioannou.
Official figures indicate that Up to 96% of asylum applications end up being denied.
