Govt issues reminder on asylum seekers’ working rights

The interior ministry on Wednesday issued a reminder that asylum seekers are prohibited from taking up work in the first nine months following their arrival in Cyprus.

“The increase in the waiting period for the right to work from one to nine months has been in force since last October, and therefore, employment of any asylum seeker, including Syrian applicants, before that time is illegal,” they said.

“The act of employing asylum seekers before that time is punishable by a fine or even a prison sentence, while … it may also result in the permanent banning of a company from hiring a third-country national,” they said.

The ministry had in January said an automated notification system had been introduced, allowing for employers of asylum seekers to be kept up to date regarding the rules and their employees’ asylum statuses.

As a result of this, employers who employ asylum seekers whose applications are rejected are now automatically informed by email.

In addition, employers are not able to register asylum seekers as employees if their applications have been rejected or if nine months have not passed since their applications were submitted.