Statement by Haris Pashias, Coordinator of the Social Policy Bureau of the C.C. AKEL, on refugee policy
21st May 2021, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia
At the same time as the Government is continuing its petty pre-election announcements, it continues to ignore the refugees of the 1974 war.
For 8 whole years the government has abandoned the refugee settlements which are in an unacceptable situation.
Forty-three flats in refugee settlements throughout Cyprus have been deemed as being unrepairable for two years now and the Ministry of Interior hasnt yet decided how it will solve the problem. Hundreds of refugees are living in dangerous and indecent conditions.
Secondly, the program to install elevators remains inactive. The competent services have for months been responding that they are preparing to listen to bids for its practical implementation. Such is the DISY government’s inefficiency that while there were funds allocated in the state budgets for the installation of elevators, it didn’t make use of them, condemning hundreds of elderly people and people with disabilities to a prolonged lockdown.
Thirdly, the program of issuing property titles and leases has stalled to such an extent that it seems to have ended.
As AKEL, we have four pillars of refugee policy as our priority:
- A general reconstruction plan and a program for the construction of flats in the Government refugee Settlements must proceed immediately.
- An overall plan for the installation of elevators which aims to install elevators in all the refugee flats over the next three years needs to be elaborated.
- The competent services of the Land Registry must be sufficiently staffed in order to at long last complete the issuance of property titles and lease certificates.
- The planning and implementation of the compensation scheme for the loss of use of properties in the occupied territories should proceed.
We will continue to highlight and assert for the refugees fully aware that they have shouldered and continue to shoulder the biggest burden of the Turkish invasion and the ongoing occupation.
