Filenews 17 March 2022 - by Natasha Christoforou
In despair are more than 100 Ukrainian tourists, who arrived in Cyprus on holiday and were trapped in our country, due to the invasion of Russia. Among them are dozens of children, with their total number being unclear because there is no official record. Most of them are in Larnaca and through "F", they make a dramatic appeal to the Cypriot Government for help, since some of them were left with little money, have shortages of basic necessities, while their children do not have access to schools.
These refugees, due to the fact that they were in Cyprus before the start of the war on 24 February, cannot initiate procedures to obtain temporary protection status, since it is not provided for in the directive adopted by the European Council on 4 March. This is because the directive provides for the granting of the status of "temporary protection" to those Ukrainian citizens who have fled to the EU after the invasion. This status offers them, among other things, a residence permit for 12 months and access to education, healthcare and the labour market.
ALSO READ: Ukrainian and Cyprus through the eyes of 3 former MFA
Ukrainians who are in Cyprus have opened their homes for these families by offering them money and food. However, these people feel in limbo and in addition to worrying about the fate of their families in Ukraine, they are also anxious about their future in our country.
Among them is Lyolya Filomonova, from Kiev, who came on holiday with her husband to Larnaca and is the representative of tourists stranded in Larnaca. "Please help us. We feel that no one knows about us. We don't know what to do", she told us upset, adding that the biggest problem faced by those trapped in Cyprus is that they have no place to stay.
"We came to Cyprus to see some friends on February 23rd and the war happened. After a week we went to one hostel and now we came to another. We have a group and they inform each other. Others extended their stay in the hotels where they stayed and some stayed in Ukrainian families. We are worried because there is no solution for us. We are very concerned because there are also children and we want them to be able to go to school. We are told that those of us who came before 24 February have no rights. 90% of all the refugees we are in Larnaca now, we came before the war".
As he said, in a similar location there are also tourists from Ukraine who live in Limassol, with whom they are in contact, but do not know how many there are. "As we learn in other EU countries from our friends, arrangements have been made for Ukrainians and their schools have been opened for children. That is what we are trying to do here for the Ukrainians. That's why we're asking for help."
The competent services of the state were ignorant
"F" contacted the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, requesting information on the management of these refugees. All Ministries said that they were unaware of the presence of these refugees in Larnaca and noted that consular assistance should be requested from the refugees, from their Embassy in order to initiate the procedures and have an official briefing. In his honor, the Commissioner of the Citizen, Panagiotis Sentonas, asked for telephone numbers and came in contact with some of the refugees, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also showed great interest in the issue.
From the Ministry of Interior, we were told that "its services were mobilized in relation to the implementation of the obligations of the Republic of Cyprus deriving from the European Directive for the provision of temporary protection to those who arrived after the invasion. In order for there to be a different management for the rest, there must be a decision of the Council of Ministers.
However, the least that the competent state services, and in particular the competent interministerial committee, have to do is to immediately examine and find a solution to this humanitarian issue, which also affects dozens of children, who must have access to education as soon as possible. Because if volunteers, having little means, set up mechanisms in a few days to ensure the survival of these people, then... rather the state can.
Assistance from Larnaka Municipality
Larnaka Municipality, in the last twenty-four hours and after being informed about the Ukrainians, in consultation with the Commissioner of the Citizen, Panagiotis Sentonas, began to provide food to families. "We were told about 126 tourists who were in hotels in Larnaca and stayed in Cyprus. They are tourists who cannot return because of the war. We arranged to get some food and if necessary we will also give from the social grocery of the city", said the mayor Andreas Vyras.
Response from volunteers
A Cypriot volunteer has created a mechanism for the provision of food and basic necessities for refugees
During their time in Cyprus, Ukrainian refugees are actually being supported thanks to the actions of volunteers. One of them is Olena Andrews, a director of a Ukrainian company, based in Larnaca. As he says, "on February 24th, my boss saw on facebook that two Ukrainian families were trapped at Larnaka airport. We brought these families and found them apartments. One family was a mother with her child, who came here for four days and had almost no clothes. We gave them clothes and food."
They then found, as he says, that there were many more families trapped in Larnaca, some of whom were spotted asking for help on Social Media. "We decided to raise money in the company and help them. A cy4ua forum was created and there were 65 Ukrainian families in Larnaca alone. Some of them left and went to Poland, but there are still several of them in Larnaca, while there are many who came in the last few days and are looking for where to stay. We ask the services of Cyprus to help these people with the process they have to follow. For those who came before 24, some say they should go to immigration, some say they should go elsewhere. They don't know what to do. We also contacted the Embassy of Ukraine and they told us that they are trying to find a solution."
The actions of a Cypriot volunteer, in whose place the Cypriot state should have been, which for days has created a mechanism for providing food and basic necessities for refugees, are moving. Chryso Louka works at Larnaka airport and had contact with some Ukrainian tourists upon their arrival in Cyprus. "Because I had their concern, I searched to find them in Larnaca. I found about 25 of them and I'm trying to find others. Ever since I found them, I have been bringing them food and clothes. They gave me things a bakery and a restaurant and I collect from my friends and take them, but they are not enough. We have as a meeting point the square of St. Lazarus and I give them them. I also informed Larnaka Municipality at the point where the aid for the Ukrainians is gathered".
