"
It's a ghetto
."
In Cyprus, a mayor denounces the presence of hundreds of Syrian migrants in his small town and wants them to leave.
But these asylum seekers, who rent apartments in a tourist complex, fear that they will not be able to obtain accommodation elsewhere.
Read alsoIn Cyprus, the pope castigates the West
“
We have a demographic problem
,” launches the mayor of Chloraka, Nicholas Liasides.
“
To solve it, these refugees must be distributed across the island
,” he pleads.
In this small town of 7,000 inhabitants, located in western Cyprus, the number of refugees, mostly Syrians, has risen from 800 to 1,700 in three years, representing around a quarter of the population.
Like Chloraka, the Mediterranean island, a member of the European Union, has seen a massive influx of migrants in recent years, mostly Syrians fleeing the war in their country, located less than 100 km from the Cypriot coast. .
Reported to its population, Cyprus - divided since its invasion in 1974 by Turkey, which occupies the northern third - says it has the highest number of first-time asylum seekers in Europe, accusing Ankara
of "instrumentalising
" migrants passing them to the south side from the north.
If so many migrants have chosen Chloraka, it is, according to the mayor, the fault of the owner of "
Saint Nicolas
", a former tourist complex where nearly 700 refugees reside in apartments with affordable rents.
"
It's a ghetto and we want to break
it up," Nicholas Liasides told AFP.
Less tourism
This complex of 250 apartments, located away from the town, once welcomed many tourists, but due in particular to the pandemic, European visitors have given way to migrants.
Faced with this influx, the Ministry of the Interior issued a decree in December 2020 prohibiting any new refugees from settling in Chloraka.
And a month ago, local authorities cut off the water supply to the resort, amid a financial dispute over unpaid bills.
“
These are just excuses, they want to drive out the refugees
,” assures AFP Neofyto Paranetis, owner of “
Saint Nicolas
”.
"
It's a shame
", protests this septuagenarian, specifying to have brought the case "
to justice
".
Tensions in Chloraka escalated in January after two fights between refugees, including some residents of "
Saint Nicolas
", said Michalis Nicolaou, spokesman for the Paphos police.
“
In one month, we arrested more than 80 people residing illegally in Chloraka
,” he says, referring to the decree.
Since the beginning of January, two demonstrations have been organized by residents to demand the departure of the refugees.
"
Most of the inhabitants are afraid to approach the complex, the number of migrants has become too large
", explains to AFP the owner of a café, who wishes to remain anonymous "
for fear of problems
".
Geoffrey Velloza, a Briton who owns a pet store in Chloraka, says he “
was not affected
” by the presence of migrants.
Relocate to the East
Originally from Syria, Mohammed Ramadan Diab, 37, said he was arrested by the police a few weeks ago at the "
Saint Nicolas
", and is awaiting a summons from the court.
"
I try to find accommodation elsewhere, but they refuse to rent me one because I am Syrian
", explains this father of six children, who has been living in Chloraka for a year after arriving illegally via Turkey.
His compatriot Nayef Al-Chouyoukh, 32, has been living at the "
Saint Nicolas
" for three years.
"
The police come regularly to do identity checks, knocking brutally on our door
" in the middle of the night, he said.
"
Children wake up traumatized
," says the father of three young children.
“
I don't know where to go.
At “Saint Nicolas”, the rent for a three-room apartment, electricity and internet included, is set at 350 euros.
The local authorities want the refugees to be relocated to camps in the east of the island, but for Kisa, an NGO for the rights of migrants, these centers are already overcrowded.
Read alsoTurkey: concerns for Hagia Sophia, once again a mosque by Erdogan's will
"
The government should thank us
" for providing them with accommodation, says Neofyto Paranetis.
"
One day we too may become refugees, like in 1974
," he said, referring to the exodus of tens of thousands of Greek Cypriots to the south of the island after the Turkish invasion of the northern part.