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Last Friday’s sweeping operation by the police to rid the centre of Nicosia of the growing number of illegal immigrants raised a lot of issues that need to be addressed by society and the state alike, primarily the absence of communication between public services and the lack of a spherical approach to the whole problem.
First and foremost was the bizarre reality whereby the responsible public official was not aware that such an operation was underway, while local TV stations were diligently informed. Obviously, in the eyes of the police, the state broadcaster has more value than the Minister of Interior, the guy in charge of processing foreign workers and illegal immigrants, and subsequently asking the EU for more aid to control our borders and cut down on human trafficking.
The Ombudsman too condemned the way the mostly Asian workers were herded into police vans to be processed, denied a phone call or the right to speak, whereas an on-the-spot check by Immigration officers should have determined whether residency papers and work permits were legit. In some cases, those who had the proper documentation had been ignored and simply because of their dark skin or obviously Asian features, were automatically branded as “illegals”, only to be released several hours later after being allowed their sacred phone call and subsequent embarrassment. But this came at the cost of unwarranted suffering at police stations and other detention centres of people, most of whom we need to do our casual and dirty work.
A televised debate two weeks also raised a parallel problem, that inner-city accommodation was rented to these “illegals” or low-cost Asian workers by Cypriot landlords (who often do not properly maintain their buildings), and that Cypriot owners of unsafe cars sell their vehicles to unknowing foreign workers who in turn cannot get insurance because of the state of the car.
Naïve comments by MPs and other public officials who try to compare the revival of the inner part of Limassol with the old town of Nicosia, also showed how ignorant society could be. Despite the success of attracting new business and youths to Limassol centre with the hosting of the Technical University (TEPAK), the same cannot replicated in the capital because of the proximity to the Green Line and the reluctance of ‘locals’ to live in such areas. Hence, the need for new tenants, who admittedly have brought some life back to the city centre.
The individual attempts by far-thinking businesspeople to repair and revive some commercial ventures in the old part of town are sadly unrecognized by the state and the municipality does not have the power to give more (financial or other incentives) to attract more and turn the old part of town into a multi-ethnic, multicultural phenomenon.
On the other hand, the lack of regular foot patrols by police in areas which are hastily labeled as “danger zones” does not inspire a sense of safety among the local or those wishing to invest and move in.
Perhaps more frequent policing and more care from public officials and NGOs would produce better results than scare-mongering images on TV of frequent raids, that may on the one hand frighten the illegals, but also cause greater damage to the image of tolerance that Cypriots once used to be proud of.
