A change in the government’s approach to the refugee issue is demanded
Statement by the Immigration Policy Bureau of AKEL
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 12th January 2021, Nicosia
Once again we are witnesses to a distressing development, the result of the deteriorating situation that exists at the Pournara Temporary Reception Centre for Asylum Seekers. This is not the first time that we, as AKEL, have warned that the inhumane living conditions are driving the people who are hosted there to their limits.
The living conditions, along with the large number of refugees who are stacked in the Centre, are the cause of the incidents that took place. Indicatively we point out that right now there are 1,500 asylum seekers there, while the facilities have a maximum capacity of 900 people. Furthermore, those who are placed in tents cannot endure the cold, especially at night. They dont have blankets or stoves to keep warm despite the efforts of NGO’s to meet these needs, given that the state is not ready to provide them. Constant complaints are being made about the lack of food, the absence of a sufficient number of sanitary facilities such as toilets and bathrooms without hot water, thus exacerbating the inhumane conditions that lead to desperate situations.
We also point out that the officials working in this field have also reached their limits, and can’t cope with the numerous issues that arise.
AKEL for the umpteenth time urges the Government to understand the need to change the way it approaches and handles the refugee issue by making use of the funding given to us for this purpose. AKEL calls on the competent Minister to make use of the proposals that we have submitted from time to time on this issue.
