THE PALESTINIAN families camped out for over a week on Mackenzie beach in Larnaca in protest at the lack of job prospects for asylum seekers yesterday agreed to dismantle their tents and leave the area peacefully.
The protestors agreed to leave after the reported intervention of Labour Minister Sotiroula Charalambous and visiting Foreign Minister of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Dr Riad Malki.
Representatives of the seven families and four individuals, making up around 30 men, women and children, originally told reporters they were forced to leave their apartments and set up tents on the beach because the District Labour Office had stopped their benefits. As a result they did not have money for rent and food.
They argued that they were keen to work but that prospective employers refused to take them on because they were Palestinian asylum seekers.
Their presence on the beach, however, was not considered welcome by local residents and restaurant owners. Larnaca Mayor Andreas Moiseos had threatened to kick them out with a court order but yesterday morning told state radio that this was not legally possible. Instead, based on his legal advice, the mayor planned to launch criminal proceedings against the protestors for illegal stay on municipality property.
DISY deputy Tasos Mitsopoulos yesterday warned that the state could not operate under threat and blackmail. He called on the relevant authorities to heed the dissatisfaction of Larnaca citizens and shopkeepers to the situation.
“There is a problem which will have to be solved through peaceful means and dialogue,” he said, adding that providing high social benefits acted as a deterrent for employment.
By 5pm yesterday, the protestors agreed to dismantle their tents and go sleep in friends’ houses after being promised a meeting on Monday with the Labour Ministry officials to discuss job opportunities.
A spokesman of the committee for Palestinians’ human rights, Jamal Al Qarud, told reporters: “We are interested in work and do not want to burden your government with benefits.”
He added: “From Monday, we will go for a job, a real job, so that we can communicate and integrate with the society.”
Meanwhile, Malki, on a one-day official visit, told state broadcaster CyBC that the Palestinian Authority “appreciates very much what Cyprus has done so far” in helping Palestinians who flee from war and conflict.
“The people here, the asylum seekers, have to understand the limitations of Cyprus and they have to be grateful that Cyprus has really offered them the opportunity to run away from hell, when they left Iraq,” he said.
