Filenews 27 August 2022 - by Michalis Hadjivassilis
The procedures for granting benefits to migrants leaving the Pournara First Reception Centre are being radically changed, with the competent deputy ministry, taking corrective measures.
Benefits are cut when applicants do not live where they declared, the amounts given as pocket money are reduced and subsidies are stopped when many people are left illegally in a premises, in order not to create ghettos.
Recently, the Council of Ministers approved, after its submission by the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Anastasia Anthousi, a manual setting out the allowances that applicants will receive as well as the reception material. It also sets out the conditions under which this material will be returned or not granted. According to Dr. Loizos Hadjivassiliou, head of the Office of the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Anastasia Anthousi, among the changes that are coming is the launch of the procedure for the payment of the benefits received by applicants for international protection through a prepaid card, which will have the possibility of use only within the Republic and which can be subject to specific restrictions of use.
As estimated by the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, this measure will drastically reduce the time required to serve the applicants, thus avoiding the inconvenience of themselves and the administrative costs for the Republic.
Also, with the Handbook that was approved, Mr. Hadjivassiliou states:
• The provision of financial assistance to foreigners is differentiated. Specifically, according to the decisions of the Council of Ministers, beneficiaries of Material Reception Conditions are granted, in addition to the rent allowance, an allowance of €186 for food and clothing and €75 for electricity, water and pocket money expenses. As he explains, based on the previous practice, the amount of €75 was provided to all applicants indiscriminately regardless of their place of residence. However, since it was found that several applicants are accommodated in hotels and / or other temporary accommodation or in the homes of friends and relatives and therefore do not bear electricity and water costs, it was decided that this amount should be separated and determined according to the place of residence of the applicant. In particular, from now on, a categorization is made to the amount of the amount that will be granted as small expenses as follows:
a) Provision of financial assistance of €75 (which is increased to €100 for two people, €140 for three people, €170 for four people, €200 for five people or more) as provided for in the decision of the Council of Ministers, to an applicant who has presented a lease document and resides at the address he declares.
b) Provision of financial assistance of €28 (which is increased to €37 for two people, €52 for three people, €63 for four people and €74 for five people or more) to an applicant, who does not provide a rental document and is accommodated by friends or relatives.
c) Provision of financial assistance amounting to €28 to an applicant hosted in hotels and/or other temporary accommodation.
It is noted that the amounts were calculated on the basis of the decisions of the Council of Ministers and the monthly annual expenditure on selected goods based on the family budget survey (12% corresponds to water supply, 51% corresponds to electricity and 37% corresponds to personal care).
According to Dr. Chatzivasiliou, at the same time, a decision has been taken to transfer the procedure for the submission of immigrants' application for assistance from the District Office of the Social Welfare Services of Lakatameia to Pournara. The procedures for the preparation of the space outside the Centre are already underway, while the applications are already submitted there and in 2-3 days an appointment is given to the applicants. In this way, it is intended to reduce the problems observed in the office of Lakatameia. As the head of the deputy minister's office also told us, the applicants will now be served in the district they declare that they will reside in, and not in Nicosia as was the case before, since they declared a 'correspondence' address. Those who do not attend their appointment will be sought so that the authorities where they are staying know what their needs are.
The recently adopted Handbook provides for:
• The activation of a group of Social Services officers, who are responsible for the immediate examination of the applications of Material Reception Conditions, as well as a group of officers who carry out a home visit in order to:
(a) Confirmation of the criteria for the provision of material reception conditions.
b) Confirmation of the address of residence.
(c) Assessment of living conditions and a series of measures and actions in cases where unsuitable premises are found in cooperation with the owners and local authorities, and
(d) other actions or requirements aimed at the social integration and integration of applicants for International Protection into the community.
• The obligation for each applicant, after leaving the First Reception Centre in Pournara, to contact the district office of the province where he has declared his address, in order to receive the Material Reception Conditions.
• The obligation to present a solemn declaration of the owner of the premises under rent, which will record, among other things, the number of rooms of the premises and the exact number of people it hosts, in order to make the necessary checks in relation to the living conditions of foreigners and the financial checks for the rent allowances received by the owners of the premises.
• The suspension of the Material Reception Conditions for applicants for international protection who are not registered with the Public Employment Service (PES) after the first month they leave the First Reception Centre in Pournara.
• The termination of the Material Reception Conditions after the lapse of two months, to applicants for international protection residing in premises, which are deemed unsuitable on the basis of relevant decrees and who refuse to find a new place of residence.
• The obligation of the applicant to inform the Social Welfare Services of any change in the information mentioned in his application. In fact, a procedure is activated under article 9KB (1)(b) of the Refugee Laws to require the return of the material reception conditions that the applicant received and / or benefited from due to his failure to disclose a substantial fact or due to his inaccurate statement regarding the details of his application.
• The notification every first quarter of the year of the Tax Commissioner with a detailed list of the owners of premises to whom the rents are paid, along with the amount paid in the previous year, for tax audit purposes.
Restrictions on card use
The innovation with the prepaid card will solve many problems, estimates Mr. Chatzivasiliou, since the cheques are abolished and so they will not be lost or delayed in reaching the applicants.
With the e-card, several restrictions will be placed on the beneficiaries to ensure that the money goes for the purpose it is given. It will not be allowed to use the card in casinos, in liquor stores or in the occupied areas, while the beneficiary will have access to a small percentage to get cash. Purchases will be checked to ensure that the money is spent on the needs of the family.
