The Living Conditions of Asylum Seekers in Cyprus

Spaneas, Stefanos (PI)
Cochliou, Despina (PI)
Zachariades, Agamemnonas (PI)
Neocleous, Gregory (PI)
Apostolou, Menelaos (PI)

Department of Social Sciences

Project: Research

Description

The main scope of this research proposal is the development of actions, through which the corresponding parties will join forces, know-how and experiences in order to apply an integrated approach in tackling, with greater flexibility and effectiveness, the problems faced by asylum seekers during their stay in Cyprus until their legal status will be processed by the competent authorities.

Key findings

Asylum seekers, reception conditions, living conditions, Cyprus

Short title	Living Conditions of AS in Cyprus
Status	Finished
Effective start/end date	14/08/17 → 24/05/18

Keywords

asylum seekers
reception conditions
living conditions
Cyprus

Access Project

AS_LIving-COnditions_Cyprus-FinalReport_May2018
File: application/pdf, 1.85 MB
Type: Text

In the process of its accession to the European Union in 2004, the Republic of Cyprus adopted national refugee legislation and established the requisite asylum procedures for the effective implementation of the law. UNHCR is, indeed, pleased to have had the opportunity to closely cooperate with and support the authorities in these efforts. With asylum procedures well in place and, by and large, functioning, the issue of the reception conditions of asylum-seekers has come increasingly to the fore in recent years. The key consideration for UNHCR, as the UN agency mandated to provide international protection to refugees and to seek durable solutions for their problems, is that asylum-seekers should enjoy an adequate standard of living while waiting for a decision on their asylum application. It is essential to enable asylum-seekers to sufficiently sustain themselves during the asylum process not only out of respect for their rights but also to ensure a fair and effective asylum procedure. It also requires stressing that the basic reception services provided during the asylum procedure constitute the first point of reference for the potential refugee. As asylum-seekers already bear an emotional and psychological burden as a result of the traumatic experience of departure and flight, their ability to integrate rapidly and satisfactorily into the host community after their acceptance as refugees depends on this initial stage. It is, therefore, in the best interests of both the host society and asylum-seekers and refugees to promote a reception policy with a long-term perspective - a policy designed to minimize isolation and separation from host communities and that is based on giving asylum-seekers as much autonomy as possible. There is a number of different reception models at the EU level that the Republic of Cyprus can follow, or combine flexibly various elements of these models. What is essential is that the combined effect of the various measures taken by the Government ensures, at a minimum, the basic dignity and rights of asylum-seekers are protected in conformity with international and EU standards. These measures include: adequate reception conditions upon arrival, information and advice, freedom of movement, appropriate accommodation, adequate means of subsistence, employment, access to education, medical care and special arrangements for groups with specific needs. It is with the above considerations that UNHCR commissioned the University of Nicosia to carry out an analytical study on the living conditions of asylum-seekers in the Republic of Cyprus. The study identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the existing legislative and administrative frameworks and describes the state of their implementation. It offers a series of recommendations for a way forward. Much of the information contained in this study has come from some 600 asylum-seekers who were directly consulted by the researchers, government sources and documentation provided by independent experts and refugee-assisting non-governmental organisations.

The Living Conditions of Asylum Seekers in Cyprus

Project Details

Description

Key findings

Keywords

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