THE PLENUM is today set to approve the law that will regulate third country nationals’ rights to long-term residency in Cyprus – over a year after it should have been passed.
Long-term residents will especially be interested in the European Directive that will significantly upgrade the rights of those who have lived in Cyprus permanently for a minimum of five years.
Following lengthy discussions at the House Interior Committee, deputies finally found some common ground and agreed on the bill, despite there being two areas that weren’t unanimously agreed on.
The first regards a clause that would oblige residency applicants to take an oral exam in Greek. The second has to do with a provision stating that only workers with personal contracts can apply for residency, thus excluding the right for those with collective agreements.
The Interior Ministry’s initial bill included strict clauses, which would enforce applicants to take written exams in Greek, History and Cyprus Culture.
However, the provision was met with opposition from unions, parliamentarians and non-governmental organisations like immigrant support group KISA and women’s support centre Apanemi, who viewed the requirement as discriminatory and unjustifiable, and believed it would lead to the mass rejection of thousands of applications.
So the obligation to be tested in Cypriot history and culture was excluded.
Now, parties DISY, DIKO, EDEK and the Green Party agree that applicants should take an oral exam in the Greek language. The parties support that such a measure would indicate if a third country national has a simple but substantial grasp on the local language and can communicate.
Furthermore, DISY and DIKO suggested the addition of a discreet provision, exempting certain applicants whose work does not demand knowledge of the Greek language.
But coalition party AKEL has remained categorically against the need for applicants to take Greek language exams, written or otherwise.
AKEL spokesman and Chairman of the House Interior Committee, Andros Kyprianou, yesterday explained why he believed the other parties’ suggestion for oral examinations was unnecessary: “It makes sense that anybody who has lived in Cyprus for five or more years is able to sufficiently communicate with the locals, therefore we do not see the reason why we should legislate an obligation for them to successfully take oral exams”.
The other point of disagreement was the need for applicants to present their personal employment contracts in order for their claim to long-term residency to be examined.
Trade unions PEO, SEK and DEOK were especially incensed by the clause, demanding that third country residents with collective agreements are entitled to the same rights.
The unions are backed by AKEL, EDEK and the Green Party.
Kyprianou said yesterday that if it is made obligatory for applicants to present a personal contract, applicants with collective agreements will be pressured into signing personal contracts with the conditions set by their employers. “This is something we cannot accept,” he added.
