Rent allowances of migrants breaking decree have been cut

Rent allowances have been cut from some third country nationals living in Chlorakas, it emerged on Tuesday following the wide-ranging House demographics committee meeting.

It is understood that some third country nationals defying the interior ministry’s decree banning Syrians moving to Chlorakas have had their allowances cut, according to Yiannis Sotiriadis of the migration department.

The interior ministry’s decree banning Syrian refugees from moving to Chlorakas came into effect last year.

Sotiriades further stated that there are many other such cases – of the decree being defied, in Paphos and elsewhere, and that much progress has been made.

He also touched upon repatriations, saying that cooperation with the EU and Frontex will lead to the return of 16 people to an unnamed African country on Saturday. Another repatriation flight to an Asian country is due towards the end of March.

Chairman of the ad hoc committee and Elam MP Linos Papayiannis said that the number of Africans applying for protection has quadrupled within the first 45 days of the year and that although deportations have increased, the figure is still dwarfed by arrivals.

The EU course on migration is “dangerous”, according to the Elam MP, who said that Cyprus should be wary of following the bloc’s migration policy.

Disy MP Prodromos Alambritis addressed the fact that 25 per cent of Cyprus’ population are migrants, as he said that many of those are legal residents and workers – with the focus instead on those arriving illegally, particularly from countries which are not at war.

Diko MP Zacharias Koulias spoke of “war crimes”, saying that Turkey is orchestrating a policy of altering Cyprus’ demographics.

“There are 127,000 third-country nationals in Cyprus, of whom 100,000 are Europeans, 18,000 are asylum seekers and 30,000 are illegal migrants – according to the authorities,” he said.

But he further claimed that illegal migrants may now number 100,000 as data is not being accurately recorded by the state.

Recent police sweeps in Chlorakas have found handfuls of people violating the ban and proceeded with criminal investigations against them and the owner the apartment building in which they were living.