Nicosia, CYPRUS, 20 November 2013 (UNHCR)– When Ramand*, a stateless Kurd from Syria, received last month the long awaiting letter from the Cypriot authorities that his claim for international protection is recognized, he was far from relieved. Stripped from his nationality in the country he was…
©
Nicosia, CYPRUS, 20 November 2013 (UNHCR)– When Ramand*, a stateless Kurd from Syria, received last month the long awaiting letter from the Cypriot authorities that his claim for international protection is recognized, he was far from relieved. Stripped from his nationality in the country he was born, he feels that his plight will be resolved only if he gets citizenship where he now lives. “I’ve always lived as a ghost, I don’t want the same life for my children,” Ramand says to UNHCR. Ramand is one of some 3000 refugees living in the Republic of Cyprus. While he meets the formalities required for applying for the Cypriot citizenship, he’s reluctant to do so due to the lengthy procedures involved and the negative decisions that usually follow. ”Most of the refugees who apply are not granted Cypriot citizenship, so I don’t see the reason in applying,” he says.Although naturalization is the state’s sovereign right, this is qualified by the international obligation to facilitate naturalization. Yet, few applications have been accepted by the government of Cyprus, even if eligibility requirements, such as time and good character, are met. While refugee status offers a range of legal and social rights, refugees continue to feel vulnerable without an effective nationality.
Unable to return to their country of origin, and lacking the comprehensive state protection normally attached to citizenship the plight of refugees in Cyprus is perpetuated. For UNHCR, facilitating naturalization is an important parameter of the refugee integration process. The 1951 Refugee Convention enumerates the rights that are geared towards integration and calls upon States to facilitate integration and access to citizenship for refugees. UNHCR estimates that, during the past decade, 1.1 million refugees around the world became citizens in their country of asylum. Granting citizenship to refugees is also an acknowledgement of their contribution and will allow people like Ramand to make fresh starts in their lives.Basic human right; a sense of belonging“The international community has long recognized that every individual, no matter where in the world finds himself or herself, should hold a legal bond of nationality to a State,” UNHCR Representative in Cyprus, Damtew Dessalegne explains. “However, the sad reality is that tens of thousands of people around the world, including refugees, are denied this basic human right.” Some refugees have lived all their lives in Cyprus, worked hard and built their livelihoods, but they feel that their refugee status has been a barrier to full belonging. “My son was brought up in Cyprus but he does not know where he belongs. He keeps asking me if he’s Cypriot or Iranian,” says Moradi, an Iranian refugee who came to Cyprus 14 years ago and today owns a carpentry enterprise. Is refugee status “sufficiently privileged”?Moradi was unpleasantly surprised when his application for naturalization was denied on the basis that the status of the recognized refugee is “a sufficiently privileged” one and that “Cyprus will have no gain from his naturalization”. Due to lack of naturalization, refugees are considered as third country nationals and for their commercial dealings they may be facing a number of constraints. Moreover, they may not be able to travel to any country they wish. This is a problem for entrepreneurial refugees. “My refugee travel documents are accepted in the EU, but travelling for business purposes to other destinations is not possible,” Moradi says.
“I’ve been always working, have my own business, paying my taxes and meeting all my obligations. Is this not a contribution to the society?” he wonders.
Μοιράσου το στο Facebook Μοιράσου το στο Twitter
