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Some years ago a group of asylum seekers came directly from third countries to the Sovereign British Bases (SBA’s) in Cyprus. It is a mixed group, some of them are Syrian Kurds, some of them Iraqis and some of them from other Arab countries. These migrants have seeked asylum in the SBA’s and they remain there since then. Some of them have been recognised as refugees from eligibility officers of the U.K. Home Office and some have been rejected without however been deported or given any other international protection status from the SBA’s. The majority of these persons have been living in the SBA’s for more than seven years, some of them even nine years. They have been provided up to now with housing, welfare benefits, medical care and schooling for the children from the SBA’s. In 2004 and while Cyprus was in the process of acceding to the European Union, the U.K. Ministry of Foreign Affairs initiated discussions with the Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to come to an agreement about the
In 2004 and while Cyprus was in the process of acceding to the European Union, the U.K. Ministry of Foreign Affairs initiated discussions with the Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to come to an agreement about the luck of asylum seekers coming directly to the SBA’s after Cyprus’ accession to the E.U., in the light also that the E.U. asylum rules were not applicable in the SBA’s. The result of these discussions was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (hereby attached) between the two Governments regulating the cooperation of the two countries with regard to processing asylum seekers applications coming to the island of Cyprus directly from the SBA’s. This MOU had no retrospective effect and thus it did not cover the situation of the asylum seekers already in the SBA’s for some years. Although discussions took place as to the luck of the refugees and asylum seekers already in the SBA’s, there was no result at the time.
The recognised refugees have long been putting pressure on the authorities of the SBA’s to resettle them to the U.,K. and the rejected asylum seekers to be allowed to enter the U.K. as asylum seekers in order for their applications to be re-examined or to be granted the right to remain in the U.K. on humanitarian grounds, taking also into account the number of years that they have been residing in the SBA’s. However, the authorities of the SBA’s although initially assured them that they would be resettled to the U.K. or other countries, step by step they have been abandoning this position. Moreover, two years ago they were told that they could not send their children to the SBA’s schools and that they have to send them to Cypriot schools, something that has created a lot of problems to the children due to the language. One year ago, medical care was also cut off from the SBA’s and refugees and asylum seekers were told to visit the Cypriot hospitals for medical care. The refugees were devastated as they realised that step by step the authorities of the SBA’s were trying to put them under the responsibility of the Cyprus Government rather than resettling them to the U.K. or any other country as promised. UNHCR in Cyprus was always assuring them that the authorities of the SBA’s cannot force them to leave the bases.
Recently, on 14 February 2007, all refugees and asylum seekers of the SBA’s were send a letter by the authorities of the Bases informing them that their files have been transferred under the responsibility of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. At the same time, the Asylum Service of the Ministry of Interior informed them also that their files have been transferred to the Asylum Service and has also send refugees with the necessary letter of recognition as a refugees informing them that they have to arrange their papers with the Government, and to the asylum seekers a confirmation letter that they are asylum seekers under the responsibility of the Asylum Service of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. Apparently, there was an agreement, written or oral, between the two Governments that the MOU signed in 2004 would be also applied to the refugees and asylum seekers already in the SBA’s before 2004.
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