Cyprus-Forum.com

[brother]

North orders crackdown on illegal Turkish workers
By Simon Bahceli


THE Turkish Cypriot authorities yesterday issued a stern warning to an estimated 20,000 illegal Turkish immigrants, telling them either to register for work and residence permits, or leave the island.

The warning came after the north’s ‘labour and social security ministry’ revealed that a blitz on illegal workers had resulted in around 15,000 applications for work permits. An estimated 20,000 illegal workers, however, remain off the record and have until June 30 to apply for work permits or face possible deportation.

Illegal immigration to the north has become a contentious issue in recent months and has been widely reported in local media as being the root cause of a sharp increase in crime. It is also blamed for widespread unemployment and is seen as a drain on scarce public funds.

“This problem has existed for many years and is something that we as the new government have inherited from the previous administration,” ‘interior ministry’ undersecretary Ali Alnar told the Cyprus Mail yesterday, adding that he and his ‘ministry’ were engaged in a battle to end a “culture of illegality”.

New laws on immigration will come into force on June 30, six months after the signing of a protocol between the north and the Turkish government that brought an end to a decade and a half during which Turks wishing to work in the north could enter the island virtually unrecorded using only their identity cards. Under the protocol, those wishing to work can only enter the island using their passports and must inform the authorities they intend to seek employment. Only those from Turkey willing to holiday in the north are permitted to enter using identity cards.

Alnar said he believed a package of penalties aimed at illegal workers and their employers would greatly reduce the numbers coming to and remaining on the island.
“Already we are seeing a net reduction in the numbers coming here to work. Our figures from the immigration department show that since the protocol the number of departures is double that of arrivals,” he said, adding that the number of registered workers would eventually stabilise at around 20,000.

Although low by European standards, Alnar said the law’s system of fines would be sufficient to dissuade the majority of potential illegal workers from continuing to seek employment off the record.

“For each day that someone from Turkey outstays his visa or work permit he will be fined a day’s minimum wage. And whether or not he is able to pay the fine, he will be sent back to Turkey.”

He added that fines would remain on computer records with the ‘immigration department’, meaning that those returning would not be allowed onto the island unless the fines were paid off at double the rate.

Employers refusing to register their workers and pay national insurance contributions would also be subject to penalties, Alnar said.

While Alnar conceded that fines on employers breaking the law might be low by international standards, he believed repeated multiple offences – especially by those in the construction industry, where large numbers of illegal workers are known to be employed – would be economically crippling.

Alnar responded to criticism from some circles in the north that the new law was discriminatory against mainland Turks, many of whom come from extremely poor backgrounds by saying, “There is nothing discriminatory about this. We simply want to regulate those coming and going and end the laxness of the past”.

Alnar also cited a massive drain on public resources by those who benefited from the health and education services without contributing to public coffers.

“It’s not only the workers themselves, but also their families who come. Their children need schooling and social welfare protection. If they are not registered and do not pay contributions, the state gives but gets nothing back.”

Adding further urgency to the implementation of the new law is local unemployment, which Alnar says has forced many Turkish Cypriots to leave the island or seek employment in the wealthier Greek Cypriot south.
“I believe employers should give first priority to local workers, but if they insist on employing foreigners because they are cheaper, they should be prepared to face their responsibilities,” he said, adding his belief that the law would ultimately provide a boost to the employment of Turkish Cypriots in the north.




Its a step in the right direction but will it be enough, i don't think so

[magikthrill]

uh oh looks like the puppets are rebelling against the puppet master.

[garbitsch]

When will it be your turn Magik?

[detailer]

uh oh looks like the puppets are rebelling against the puppet master.

Magik,

Can you please explain me your puppet theory?(Who is puppet, who is puppet master, how did you get this anology?)

[garbitsch]

Apparently, he got his analogy from Plato, but it was a bad choice. Shame on you!

[RAFAELLA]

"Mbate skylloi aleste"...

20.000 of illegal workers/settlers is just the 1/7 of the total amount of settlers that should be shiped back to where they came from.
But at least it's a start...

[garbitsch]

You said something in Greek. I think skylloi means dogs. Could you dare to translate what you've said please?

[Yiannis]

Its a greek expression meaning that they are all free to do whatever they want without any control over them (refering to the illegal workers).

[detailer]

"Mbate skylloi aleste"...

20.000 of illegal workers/settlers is just the 1/7 of the total amount of settlers that should be shiped back to where they came from.
But at least it's a start...

Where do you get these numbers?

[turkcyp]

deleted by the author...