Brits go home?
By Jill Campbell Mackay
Expats fear growing backlash as Cyprus struggles to tackle change
BRITISH nationals living in Cyprus now account for 1.5 per cent of the total population.
They are a strong economic minority, with most having handed over several hundred thousand pounds to developers over the past decade to allow them to come here and live out their retirement dream.
Things, however, are changing. Once, Cyprus was privy to a certain class of incomers from the UK, professional men and women of a certain age, many who had already spent years as expats working in other foreign countries as part of their job. They came here, bought their stone house or modern villa, and settled down into the community, respecting their neighbours, enjoying their life and in the main keeping themselves to themselves, with gardening, barbeques, and hobbies to occupy their days.
They did, however, retain their unique Empire mentality and slowly but surely displayed the British brilliance for admin, procedure, policies and of course committees – talents that run through the blood of every Englishman.
These defining characteristics which help define a Brit abroad were slowly but surely brought to bear on a myriad of local issues. Excellent charitable works were initiated and run by expats, social issues were addressed and brought to light, dedicated clubs and associations were set up to service the needs of the now burgeoning expat crowd, and benefits filtered through to the local community.
As the relentless march of the developers’ diggers continued, huge swathes of once agricultural land gave way to a welter of identical boxed set maisonettes, concrete apartment blocks, and dodgy looking villas; into these moved the second wave of Brits.
This invasion was not so easy to accept, either on the ear, eye, or on the once sound principles which dictated that we Brits were guests in a foreign country and, as such, should try to embrace our hosts’ culture, integrate as far as we could and be mindful that we were not there to teach the natives how to do things our way.
Well that’s all changed now, and with this departure from the establishment way of living, many long-term residents worry that their once friendly hosts are becoming deeply frustrated with this invasion, and worry of a backlash.
John, a 58-year-old retired naval officer has lived here for over 14 years, and has observed the change at first hand. “I used to enjoy going into town once a week to the local market, but to be honest the calibre of residents we now have coming to the island its causing a good deal of problems with the locals.
“There’s absolutely no understanding of the way of life here, zero respect; nowadays you are more likely to encounter shopping rage in a supermarket from an Englishman who will shower you with the worst verbal obscenities.
“Okay we are now in the EU, but those people coming over now do honestly believe that this is just like Leeds but with the sun, so they set up a business here aimed mainly at the Brits and some of those advertising UK-run businesses are just con artists, having just moved their centre of operations from the UK to the more gullible and dare I say rather trusting expat community.”
Melissa, 63, has lived in Paphos for 20 years. “I despair of this part of the island and blame any backlash against the Brits squarely on the shoulders of the fat cat developers and the exceedingly loose building regulations in place, which allow land to be built on with no regard for the environment or the natural ecology.
“If I was a Cypriot, I’d be bloody furious at this continuous rape of my small but once beautiful island, and the way it’s now turning into a sort of depository for chancers, get-rich-quick schemers and the very worst form of yob culture that you can import from the UK.
“In Ayia Napa, you get them for only two weeks at a time and they go home – here, we’re now living with them on a permanent basis.
“How on earth can the ordinary Cypriot not blessed with land that he can sell off, find the wherewithal to support his family through the traditional rights of passage, marriages, grandchildren, etc. Young married couples who haven’t got parents with land cannot find places to buy as the prices have been driven up by the British.
“No wonder there is a level of resentment that is starting to brim over, especially among young people.
“I have now been told in no uncertain terms to ‘go back from where you came from’, first at the garage where I complained (nicely) that my exhaust hadn’t been fixed correctly, then again by four young men who decided to swim in the communal pool at 4am, and when asked (politely) if they could keep the noise down I was told to F- off and reminded again that my option was to remove myself and go back to the UK.
“There was so much rage in these young men that I did feel quite intimidated and now worry more than ever where it will all end.”
Her concerns were echoed by Clive, aged 55. “I don’t believe the Cypriots fully understand that they are becoming a multicultural society,” he said; “and those that do realise it, don’t like it one little bit.
“On the one hand they want our pounds, but if the truth be known they don’t really want us here with our seemingly comfortable lifestyle and yes, they have gained, but the country as a whole has lost out as huge parts of it have been lost forever under a welter of concrete. And there’s zero charm in concrete,” he added.
He too had growing fears of a backlash. “The worst horrors of the modern world can also reside in a place that was once the nearest thing to heaven on earth. I have lived here on and off for 25 years and things are getting worse due to the yawning chasm between the Cypriots’ understanding of what is happening to their country and what measures need to be taken to stop the rot.
“The locals blame the incomers for a lot of ills, but in the main it’s their greed, ignorance and lack of forward thinking that has fuelled this.
“There’s also a huge problem with how they treat those that don’t have the magical pounds sterling, especially the attitude towards immigrant workers.
“The government keep going on about ‘the Cyprus problem’, but the worry is that they seem to have totally lost themselves in that issue, with the result have become blinkered to the current and all too pressing Cyprus problem, which is how do the populace adapt to the fast changing face of their island?
“There’s an obvious lack of support, education, and of course controls that have resulted in this huge problem,” said Clive. “We do need to find a way, especially here in Paphos, where the problem is at its worst on how to live in harmony with each other and at the same time retain some dignity for both the people and the land.”
The consensus among the people that I spoke to was that everything in Paphos was a facade, nice new structures, not so nice buildings, classy shop fronts, but go behind the scene and nothing much has changed.
The country may have embraced the EU, but many long-term residents believe this embrace is merely a light and temporary kiss planted on a foreigner’s cheek, just to keep him happy for the time being.
Time unfortunately is something that Paphos may not have if it’s to survive over the next 20 years as a viable integrated community, a place where retirees and good honest folk will want to plant roots in God’s lush fertile earth, not in the developer’s barren concrete.
An interesting viewpoint from a brit who is concerned about over developement, lack of sympathy between the communities, and how it is impacting both the cypriot culture and relationships between cypriots and brits..
Try to keep your comments of a non-racist nature... thanks..
