Cyprus evacuates 600 asylum seekers amid protests

Approximately 600 asylum seekers were removed from an abandoned residential complex near the city of Paphos by Cypriot authorities following resident protests and allegations of electricity theft, according to police reports on Tuesday.

Michalis Nikolaou, spokesperson for Paphos police, informed journalists that "officers were deployed in the area, cordoning off the residential complex and began registering the names of all foreigners residing in it in Chlorakas."

He added that asylum seekers would be registered and transferred to a migrant reception center to determine whether they are entitled to stay on the Mediterranean island.

The evacuation order, issued in November 2020, was enforced by the police after having been initially unexecuted.

Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) reported that around 150 migrants left the complex before the police operation commenced at 6 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) on Monday.

The government stated that those who can prove their illegal residency on the island will be deported, while legal residents will be given a two-week grace period to find alternative housing.

By virtue of a 2020 decree, the Ayios Nicolaos residential complex was supposed to be shut down due to health and safety concerns.

Tensions between asylum seekers and residents of the small Chlorakas town escalated, with the latter organizing protests demanding the evacuation of the apartments.

The issue resurfaced after the government-owned electricity company cut off power to the complex and put the local substation under guard.

Around 100 migrants staged protests last week, demanding secure alternative accommodations. Police's riot control unit intervened, employing tear gas against the demonstrators.

Cyprus, an EU member state, asserts its role as a "frontline state" in the Mediterranean migration route. Asylum seekers constitute 5% of the 915,000-population residing in government-controlled areas in the southern part of the island, marking the highest percentage within the bloc.





AFP