Limbo in a blue tent: African asylum-seekers stuck on Cyprus

3 years ago 219

NICOSIA – It seems a unusual spot to transportation a tent.

Plump successful the mediate of the United Nations-patrolled buffer portion that has divided Cyprus on taste lines since 1974, successful the bosom of the island's medieval capital, 2 Cameroonian asylum-seekers person lived successful a tiny bluish structure for astir 5 months.

The breakaway Turkish Cypriot north, done which they entered hoping to scope the European Union-member, Greek Cypriot south, volition deport them if they spell back. And the southbound seems determined not to fto them successful — to discourage much would-be migrants from trying the aforesaid route.

To marque things worse, the 2 tin spot radical freely moving betwixt northbound and southbound each the time, arsenic their structure is beside a main authorized crossing — 1 of 9 linking the 2 communities.

Enjei Grace says that she and Daniel Ejube were incorrect to effort to participate the internationally recognized southbound that mode to use for asylum.

“We are sorry," the 24 year-old says with tear-filled eyes, adding that she hopes authorities won't permission them successful limbo “forever.”

“We conscionable commune that they benignant things out, it’s not been casual connected us,” she said.

Neither the Cyprus authorities nor authorities successful the breakaway northbound person straight referred to the lawsuit truthful far. And the authorities has fixed nary denotation that it would fto them in, for fearfulness that could promote different migrants from the Middle East and Africa to spot the buffer portion arsenic an casual gateway to asylum.

Cyprus says it has the highest fig of first-time asylum applications among each 27 EU members, comparative to its colonisation of astir 1.1 million. Interior Minister Nicos Nouris has told EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson that the state can't big much asylum seekers “due to the terrible burden" connected its reception system.

At an EU Asylum Support Office league successful Malta past week, Nouris said Cyprus is “obliged to instrumentality important and drastic" measures on the buffer zone, adding that astir 800 migrants crossed it precocious wrong a 10-day span. Nouris added that 15,000 migrants person had their asylum applications rejected but can't beryllium deported due to the fact that there's nary coherent EU argumentation — oregon statement with their location countries — connected sending them back.

The Cypriot authorities claims that Turkey systematically forwards asylum seekers to the Mediterranean island's Turkish Cypriot northbound truthful that they tin make a caller unit constituent connected the south. It says astir 80% of arriving migrants participate illegally crossed the buffer zone.

Cyprus was divided successful 1974 erstwhile Turkey invaded pursuing a coup by supporters of national with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independency successful the north. Only the Greek Cypriot southbound enjoys afloat rank benefits. Decades of reunification talks person got nowhere.

The island's convoluted authorities were mislaid connected Grace and 20-year-old Ejube erstwhile they flew, separately, to an airdrome successful the northbound with hopes of leaving a troubled past behind. Grace says she fled Cameroon to flight civilian warfare and an uncle who sexually harassed her.

Ejube said his begetter paid for his travel to Cyprus wherever helium would survey and debar being recruited by Cameroon's rebel forces. Both helium and Grace said they didn't cognize astir Cyprus' division.

Grace said the land appeared the “main" disposable EU destination erstwhile she decided to emigrate.

After realizing asylum wasn't disposable successful the Turkish-Cypriot north, Grace and Ejube accidental a person told them successful May that they could easy “jump a fence” astatine nighttime to scope the south.

Luck was not connected their side. U.N. constabulary officers patrolling the fenced country astatine a conception of the capital's 16th period Venetian-built walls happened to announcement them and returned them into the buffer zone. Normally, the U.N. passes asylum seekers implicit to authorities successful the south, but this didn't hap with Ejube and Grace.

They've lived determination since, with nutrient and covering donated by the U.N. exile bureau and individuals from some the Greek and the Turkish Cypriot community.

U.N. Peacekeeping Force spokesperson Aleem Sidiqque said the Cyprus authorities “has the responsibility" to judge asylum seekers and that the Force's occupation is to coordinate betwixt the 2 sides to “prevent unauthorized access" to the buffer zone.

Emilia Strovolidou, spokeswoman for the U.N. exile bureau said Grace and Ejube should beryllium allowed entree to asylum procedures according to national, EU and planetary law. “Despite our interventions with the authorities, entree has been denied," she said.

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