in-cyprus 20 January 2023 - by Annie Charalambous
Works for a barbed wire fence in Athienou which borders the divided island’s buffer zone are imminent in a bid by the government to stem migration flow from the Turkish-held north.
The government began placing a barbed wire fence around the green line last year, as 2022 recorded an unprecedented total of 21,000 new political asylum applications.
Moreover, some 300 border guards on contract to patrol the green line are to be hired soon and the installation of electronic ‘eyes’ has begun, Philenews reports.
Barbed wire has already been installed in the area between the villages of Astromeritis-Akaki-Kokkinotrimithia along the Nicosia buffer zone.
Next week, a total of 401 candidates currently under evaluation for the contract positions will go through the assigned physical test. The successful ones will be evaluated accordingly with their marks so that the first 300 get to be hired.
The rest will remain on a waiting list for a year and if there are resignations or dismissals, then they will be asked to step in.
