CYPRUS has received fulsome praise from all corners of the globe for its foray into the realm of humanitarian assistance, but the real test could be still to come.
With the Israel-Lebanon crisis showing no sign of abating, fears are growing that Cyprus will again be the focus, not just for evacuees with passports to other countries, but for Lebanese refugees with nowhere else to go.
The cracks began to appear during the week, tarnishing what had been an unqualified success story for the island.
First an Ethiopian woman, who arrived with two friends but did not have an onward ticket, was sent back to the war zone – in breach of international law.
Instead of availing of foreign aid for just such cases, the authorities left
Cyprus exposed, as they did in another case a day later.
A Lebanese woman whose husband lives on the island arrived at Larnaca with two small children and asked for political asylum, but was told there was no such thing.
The authorities have since relented, but if it hadn’t been for the bad publicity the woman would have been sent packing to Syria, with no one to turn to when she arrived there.
And these are only the cases that have leaked out so far.
There is no way of knowing if other people who managed to leave Lebanon have been turned back by immigration officials at the airport.
The problem has also been highlighted by the presence of a small number of people evacuated by the Americans but then denied onward entry to the US.
Friction arose between the government and the US embassy, with Cyprus making it clear it could only act as a transit point.
The US ought to take charge of those it brought out of Lebanon, but if it doesn’t the problem lands firmly in Cyprus’ lap.
The problem is still small, even if Cyprus is forced to absorb those currently left behind as refugees, but unless the conflict stops it could become a major issue for the island.
“Cyprus cannot by itself, though it has responded until now to the crisis, accept a temporary or permanent stay in its territory of people who probably do not have the means to accommodate their needs,” the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Alexandros Zenon, told a news conference on Friday. “There is a need for other partners, all partners, to open their borders to people seeking visas for EU countries.”
Cyprus is asking the EU to help set up a mechanism for collectively resolving the issues that must be faced.
The sentiment is understandable, as Cyprus is a small island, but how ethical can it be in the meantime for the authorities to violate international law and to use deception as a means to avoid granting asylum during a time of war?
On Friday, Father Thomas Frizzell, a priest at St Paul’s Anglican Church in Nicosia, went to the immigration department to seek asylum for Lebanese evacuee Georges Harouni, who has also been left in limbo.
“I went up to immigration in my clergy kit and immediately I had many people ready to help me. They took me to the next level up the food chain and they told me Georges does not need to apply for asylum because the US will give the 100 remaining visas,” Father Frizzell told the Sunday Mail.
Father Frizzell said he immediately called the consular section at the US embassy and was assured by a consular officer that this was not true, although Georges’ case is different as he did not come under the US evacuation but has applied for a visa.
The immigration inspector then told the priest that Georges should wait two weeks before applying for asylum as he believed the American cases would be resolved.
He was told by the officer that they were aware of Harouni’s entry into the island as he had been registered on landing at the port.
“This man needs to be made legal and he needs to be able to work,” said Father Frizzell, who in the end called the immigrant support group KISA.
The told him to return to the authorities on Monday with a letter seeking asylum.
“What’s happening is the Cypriot government is trying to apply pressure, not just on the US, but on all the countries that brought people here,” he said.
“Now the Cypriots have a big problem on their hands and they have people on the island that are not going to be allowed to go anywhere.
What does Cyprus do?”
To Cristina Planas, the representative of the UNHCR in Cyprus, the obligations of all countries under international law are clear.
“Our involvement is just to try to see if all consideration is given to avoid a splitting of families, kids and parents, husbands and wives in view of the principle of family unity. This is our concern,” she said.
“Our mandate is to ensure individuals are not returned to Lebanon at this moment and I’m not saying only Lebanese.”
Planas said that while the emphasis was on creating liveable conditions in Lebanon, it shouldn’t limit in any way access to asylum abroad.
“The displacement there is severe and the humanitarian effort is encountering security and other difficulties,” she said.
“They should be allowed to seek asylum if they have to escape.”
Planas said the UNHCR was also recommending and suggesting that during evacuation procedures family members of foreign nationals be included.
“The US may say not all are entitled, and they have their rules as to how much flexibility can be granted. But yes there are cases that are still stranded here,” Planas
“Refugees from Lebanon must be treated with dignity and respect for their human rights. This is the vision we are trying to transmit to everyone. It’s a catch 22. You cannot stay yet cannot go back to Lebanon.”
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None of the other countries appear to have the problem being faced by the US.
The French embassy said Cyprus was used only as a transit. Embassy spokesman Eric Sanson said all arrivals on French trips were “put on chartered flights to France as soon as was possible.”
Australian High Commissioner, Garth Hunt, said arrangements to send Australian nationals home were “going smoothly”. Of the more than 2,900 evacuees only 30 people were left and would be repatriated shortly. Two families have newborn babies and would not be able to fly out for another three or four weeks, he said.
According to British High Commission spokesman Nigel Boud: “The approach we have taken is if there is a Lebanese passport holder in a family we have tried to look favourably on letting them into the UK. It’s a case by case thing. We have tried to be as favourable as we can.”
Boud said Britain offered free flights back to the UK for everyone who wanted to go. Some wanted to make their own way back but none are “in limbo”. “There are no British nationals or those connected with British nationals in that situation,” he said.
Canada wrapped up its evacuations on July 29, when some 600 Canadians boarded two vessels in the port of Beirut for the trip to Cyprus. About 13,000 of 40,000 registered Canadians left the war zone. Some 400 of the Canadians were due to leave Cyprus last night.
Foreign ministry official and crisis co-ordinator Omiros Mavromatis said a total of 54,285 foreign nationals fled to Cyprus since July 13 with numbers dropping significantly in recent days. About 2,000 arrived over the weekend and another French ship with 1,500 people is due tomorrow, he said.
