The European Commission insists that the Republic of Cyprus has an obligation to give access to asylum procedures to people stuck in the buffer zone. In August there are already 70 people there.
46 refugees filed a lawsuit against the Republic of Cyprus, accusing the government of refusing to accept their application for refugee status. These people have been living in tents in the demilitarized zone for several months.
Commenting on the lawsuit, Ioannidis said that the Legal Service was looking into the matter in conjunction with the relevant ministries. “The executive cannot interfere in judicial proceedings, so the solution will be found in court,” he said.
The authorities continue to argue that the presence of refugees in the buffer zone does not oblige them to anything, since the government does not have full control over this territory. There is also an argument that the Green Line should not permanently become a new route for refugees seeking to enter the country. Ioannidis criticized the fact that refugees were traveling through Turkey, which he called a safe state.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the European Commission said it was closely monitoring the situation and was in contact with the Cypriot authorities and UNHCR in Cyprus. “The opportunity for any person to apply for international protection on the territory of an EU state, including at the border or in a transit zone, is provided for by EU law. This is an important element of the right to asylum guaranteed by the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights (Article 18) and the Geneva Convention,” said a European Commission spokeswoman.
The text was prepared based on materials from Cyprus Mail
Report from the scene
Citizens of Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan and Cameroon live in the buffer zone on the territory of the Aglanji municipality. In the section of the buffer zone on the territory of Aqaka, there are Syrian citizens. From a conversation with them, journalists found out that they could well be classified as middle class. More details here.
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