Cyprus - a leaky hole for refugees seeking asylum in the EU

Christos Patsalides , Interior Minister of Cyprus claims that Cyprus has the largest asylum seeker population per capita in the whole of the EU.

The Turkish Cypriot paper Afrika says that since Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, 12,000 illegal immigrants have arrived in the North. Last Saturday it was announced that another 45 had been smuggled trhough the North over the Green Line into Cyprus.

Most immigrants are from Syria, Iraq and Palestine, but destroy their papers once they have reached the island.

On Thursday there was a demonstration outside Xylotympou roundabout in the British sovereign base area of Dhekelia,( a historically important forum for protest - the UK forces helpfully provide Portaloos) which Cypriot Police kept citizens away from. Photography is illegal on the base area.

Now with the commencement of the ferry from Latakia to Famagusta many more refugees are expected.

Gangs, a mixture of Russian, East European and Turkish criminals more used to trafficking prostitutes to staff the bars and brothels of Aphrodite's Island have been exploiting a curious legal loophole in what is alleged to be a very profityable business. Once the immigrant reaches the Green Line (having piad the gangs thousands) the UN cannot interfere as the boundary is not a recognised International Boundary. Once in Cyprus they cannot be returned to a region which has a Government which is not recognised by anyone. On top of this the UK Sovereign base area is actually UK territory and the cause of the protests on Thursday was immigrants / refulgees demanding UK citizenship, and (hopefully) shipment to the UK.

To mucky murky waters still further the UK sovereign base has had refugees housed in "temporary housing " since the American / Turkish invasion from the North so recent immigrants can claim precedence of treatment.

The Syrians who have seen 2 million refugees flee Iraq in the past 4 years are of course happy to see them move on. As Latakia and the coastal area is the fiefdom of the Alawhite ruling claon of the Assads such wholesale smuggling cannot be operating without some degree of official sanction.

The ferry service between Latakia and Famagusta is said by the Syrians to encourage tourism.

Cyprus remains the last of the 10 accession states in 2004 to sign the Schengen agreement, which would allow free movement of EU nationals without the need for passports.