Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity!

In 2017, 4,499 people who have fled their countries to be safe from war, persecution, oppression or discrimination applied for protection in the Republic of Cyprus. They came from countries such as Syria, Egypt, Somalia, Cameroon, India, Vietnam and Bangladesh to name but a few.
The rights and obligations of asylum seekers in Cyprus, as well as the majority of the administrative issues relevant to their stay in Cyprus, are regulated by Refugee Law 2000. According to sections 9IA and 9IB of this law, the Social Welfare Services of the Republic of Cyprus (a department of Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance ) is in charge of ensuring that the material needs of asylum seekers are covered, either in kind, cash and/or through coupons which asylum seekers can redeem in specific shops.
As the system works today, the financial assistance given to them is minimal, failing to cover adequately their most basic needs, while they also have to face humiliating treatment and discrimination on a daily basis. Often they lose hope, due to a system which does not allow them to even imagine a dignified life, to work or to become part of the society. 
Things become even worse for those who have just arrived, as they have no access to any assistance until they are registered through the system. Their essential needs are not met, many of them end up on the street and have very limited access to food, hygiene materials and other first needs. The processes they need to go through are long and timely and there is no efficient mechanism to assist these people. 

Upon arrival, refugees seeking asylum are obliged to register with the Immigration Unit of the police, after which their application is considered. But the registration sometimes takes place a month after their arrival. Until that point refugees have no right to any governmental support, including food and shelter, for a whole month!
Even after their registration the help they receive doesn't cover their most essential needs. Let alone if the applicant is here with their family and need to take care of young children. They receive coupons, meant for food, clothing and shoes, but their value does not correspond to the market prices in Cyprus. In addition, the coupons system is too restrictive: asylum seekers may use them only in specific shops, which most frequently are significantly more expensive than other available retailers.
Regarding accommodation, asylum seekers are entitled to housing allowance. This comes in the form of cheques payable directly to the owner of the accommodation, but in many cases the cheques are not received on time and asylum seekers lose their accommodation, ending up on the street again. The housing allowance itself is so low that it is nearly impossible to find decent accommodation..
Unlike recognized refugees, asylum seekers are not allowed to work for 6 months from the date of their application. This makes them totally dependent on the government benefits. After 6 months, they are allowed to work in low-skilled, low-paid jobs. Employers know that asylum seekers cannot refuse a job offered to them, and sometimes they lower the wages even further. Skilled and educated asylum seekers end up working in farms or car washes as they are not allowed to work anywhere else.

Facing the government administration is another reason for despair. Daily encounters with discrimination, shouting, being thrown out of the offices drive people to despair. 

This needs to change!
We all have a duty to protect those in need!
We can offer more!

We urge the government of the Republic of Cyprus to provide safe spaces and needed help such as shelter, food and access to hygiene, to all refugees arriving on the island in search of international protection. 

We ask the government of the Republic of Cyprus to take immediate steps to accelerate the procedures and grant international protection to all people, who are eligible to it, "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of their nationality […]", according to the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the status of Refugees.

We demand that all asylum seekers are granted with opportunities to a dignified life, allowing them to be an active members of the society.