THE CLOCK is ticking for a family of Lebanese immigrants, who have until today to pay their daughter’s tuition fees or see years of education go down the drain.
The case of the Trabelsies, first reported by Politis, is a saga of foreigners living in limbo on the island for 18 years because of authorities’ refusal to grant them any residency status.
Escaping civil war in Lebanon, the family came to Cyprus in 1990 in search of a new beginning. Struggling to make ends meet, as the father initially did not have a work permit, they persevered and put their children through school.
One of their daughters, Nadia, is now studying at the University of Indianapolis in the United States, where she needs to complete her final semester to get her degree in Communications.
But the family cannot afford the last tuition fee payment, and Nadia risks losing her degree.
Not having Cypriot nationality, the Trabelsies are not entitled to any state education grants.
Moreover, their precarious status means they cannot even secure a college loan from banks.
Every year they have to renew their temporary residency permit, which could be revoked at any time.
In 2000, the family applied for naturalisation. Four years later, their application was denied on non-legal grounds, they claim.
They were notified that their request was denied because they did not have adequate knowledge of the Greek language and also because they had not been “assimilated” into Cypriot society.
Desperate, they asked Ombudswoman Iliana Nicolaou to investigate. Nicolaou found that the authorities’ decision was based on flimsy grounds at best.
After the story first emerged, a number of people came forth to help, and the family appreciate their concern. But they say the response from officialdom has not been as warm.
They also met with the Archbishop, who has pledged to intercede with the Interior Ministry – in charge of immigration affairs – so that their case might be expedited.
The media coverage got the Trabelsies a small break, with the university showing sympathy and granting Nadia an extension for payment of the fees. But now a new deadline looms over their heads.
The family are meanwhile preparing another application for naturalisation.
The father, Rami Trabelsie, explained to the Mail that if nothing happens they would be forced to sell their business in Yermasoyia, Limassol, to pay the university.
But here’s the Catch 22: lacking an occupation, the family would then lose any reason for which they should be allowed to stay in Cyprus.
He said that, during all these years, he has been making his social insurance payments.
“We’ve been doing our part [as foreign residents], but have received nothing in return.”
His wife Georgette added:
“We’ve made a life here, going through God knows how many problems and now, instead of things getting better they might get even worse,” said Nadia’s mother Georgette.
“We are only asking for the obvious, not special treatment,” she said.
