THE STATE ombudswoman yesterday repeated her call for the government to find a more humane way of dealing with illegal immigrants, including a proposal that would lessen the jail-time for such an offence.
Eliana Nicolaou presented the House Human Rights Committee with her 2005 annual report, with discussions at the meeting centring mainly on human rights’ issues.
Also present at the meeting were Attorney-general Petros Clerides, Law Commissioner Leda Koursoumba and Police Chief Charalambos Koulentis.
“We concentrated on the matter of illegal immigrants, rejected asylum seekers facing deportation and both parties’ remand in various holding cells,” Committee Chairman, Sophoclis Fyttis of DIKO, said after the meeting
Of the total illegal entries, Fyttis said 95 per cent came south through various points across the Green Line, having arrived in the occupied north through Turkey.
In her report, Nicolaou described as “wretched and on the verge of humiliating” the way in which immigrants were being kept in prison and the general way in which their cases were handled.
Nicolaou yesterday told deputies that despite her repeated and varied recommendations on ways to improve the situation, the problem has remained largely untouched.
There are currently 607 men held at Nicosia Central Prison, out of which 286 are immigrants.
Of those men: 76 are serving time for property offences (such as theft); 45 are in for drug offences; 22 for various forms of assault; 11 for sex crimes; two for trafficking offences; one for forgery and the rest for various other crimes – such as illegal entry, residence and occupation in Cyprus.
The police chief added that there were another 128 immigrants in police holding cells all over Cyprus, either as prisoners or awaiting deportation.
Nicolaou said some steps had been taken to improve the situation since her report was published – including the creation of a special holding area in Mosphiloti and the improvement of police holding cells – but immigrants’ long-term imprisonment was definitely a violation of human rights.
“Regardless of how these immigrants arrived they do not obtain travel documents and they are held for a long time, without being deported or someone finding another way to resolve their problem,” said Nicolaou.
She added that a provision could be considered, so that persons are not kept indefinitely but for a period of three months – like in Greece – or 42 days like in France, and then are left free under restrictive conditions.
The AG confirmed that the vast majority of illegal immigrants come from the north.
“From what I have heard, when they are arrested some of these immigrants bring with them a special document in Greek and in many incidents, there is more than one name written on them, with which they apply for asylum.”
Furthermore, Clerides said he had heard that these documents were provided by Greek Cypriot lawyers and specific law firms had made a lot of money out of such cases. This, he added, had concerned the Bar Association, which had also imposed disciplinary fines.
“The matter of illegal immigrants is a difficult and complicated one,” said Clerides, expressing his concern over reducing the time in which immigrants are held.
“There are many who would be willing to remain in remand for 42 days and then receive permission to stay and move through the European Union freely,” he pointed out.
He added, “In many instances, these people are not prosecuted for petty crimes if they accept to return to their country, so we send them home instead of prison”.
Police Chief Koulentis promised that by the end of July, holding cells will have improved vastly.
In addition 128 new places will be opened in police holding areas: 38 in Nicosia, 30 in Limassol, 42 in Paphos and 18 in Larnaca. The total cost of this expansion is estimated at £8 million.
Representing the Justice Ministry, Andreas Louka informed the committee that construction work at the holding cells would be complete by the end of 2008, while cells at the Central Prison were also being upgraded and increased.
Furthermore, the prison’s Medical Centre will be completed, along with the improvement of the wing for psychiatric patient prisoners and rehabilitation will be renovated.
‘A worrying trend from the north’
POLICE CHIEF Charalambos Koulentis said it cost the state vast amounts of money to deport immigrants, with one incident once reaching £8,000.
Holding cells for immigrants are in a dire condition, he added, with some inmates having even resorted to suicide.
According to police statistics, a total of 5,287 people arrived illegally to Cyprus in 2004, with only seven of the reported entries coming through the south. In the same year, 9,859 immigrants requested political asylum.
In 2005, 5,191 illegal immigrants arrived to Cyprus, out of which only 16 came through the south.
In the same year, 7,745 immigrants applied for asylum, out of which 3,911 came from the occupied areas.
And in 2006, Koulentis said 3,778 people illegally entered the Cyprus Republic, out of which 3,762 entered from the occupied north. From those, 1,147 wilfully returned to their countries.
In the same year, 4,131 immigrants applied for asylum – 2,000 of which arrived from the occupied areas.
Regarding illegal employment, Koulentis said 390 immigrants had been reported during 2004, 626 during 2005 and the number increased to 1,004 during 2006.
Employers reported for illegally taking on immigrants were: 256 in 2004; 362 in 2005 and 592 in 2006.
And finally, there were 2,801 deportations in 2004, rising to 2,849 in 2005 and then 2,983 in 2006. Immigrants denied entry were 2,550 during 2004; 2,018 during 2005 and 1,830 during 2006.
