Filenews 19 October 2025 - by Marios Demetriou
Trafficking in human beings for sexual and/or labour exploitation continues to be one of the most serious crimes in Cyprus and internationally, however it is encouraging that in the 2025 annual report of the US Department of State on trafficking in human beings in the world, for the period April 2024 – March 2025, published in September 2025, the Republic of Cyprus remained – for the fourth consecutive year – in the honorary category 1 (tier 1), countries that meet the minimum criteria for the eradication of trafficking in human beings.
The report, which separately assesses the situation in the free and occupied areas, states, among other things, that "the Cypriot government continued to make serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period, which included investigating, prosecuting and convicting more suspected traffickers and providing support services to more potential and identified victims".
Completely different is the picture described by the US State Department, as far as the occupied territories are concerned, where, according to the report, dozens of nightclubs in the area "operate as prostitutes that force women into human trafficking". The Americans indicate indirectly but clearly that this crime is happening with the tolerance and cover-up of the occupying "authorities", since, as stated in the report, "the Turkish Cypriot 'representatives' did not investigate, prosecute or convict any traffickers in 2024, did not identify any victims of human trafficking and did not provide victim protection services".
It is noted that in the American report, occupied Cyprus is referred to as "the northern region of Cyprus administered by Turkish Cypriots, who declared it in 1983 as an independent 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus'. It added that "the United States does not recognize the 'TRNC', nor does any other country except Turkey." The U.S. State Department report includes a detailed assessment of governments' efforts against human trafficking in 188 countries and territories, including the United States.
Reference to the American report was made by Lieutenant Eleni Michael, head of the Anti-Trafficking Office (GEP) of the Anti-Crime Department at the Police Headquarters, the day before yesterday, Friday, October 17, 2025, at an event of the organization Cyprus Stop Trafficking in Nicosia, on the occasion of the European Day against Trafficking in Human Beings, which is the 18th October of each year. Speakers at the event were also the executive president of Cyprus Stop Trafficking, Paraskevi Tseou, who mainly referred to labour exploitation, and the Turkish Cypriot researcher Mine Yucel, who briefly described the human trafficking in the occupied territories. The honorary president and founder of Cyprus Stop Trafficking, Androula Christofidedou Henriques, also made her own brief intervention.
Tourist visas, false promises, debt shackles...
As far as the free areas are concerned, the US report, which is based on reports and data from the state and non-governmental sectors, records, among other things, that "human traffickers exploit Cypriot drug addicts and young women with disabilities to commit criminal offenses, such as the distribution of illegal substances and fraud with social welfare benefits".
It is added that "human trafficking for sexual exploitation occurs in private apartments and hotels, on the street and in bars, pubs, cafes, massage rooms and cabarets. In 2024, the foreign victims identified in Cyprus were from Romania, Somalia and Sri Lanka." It is also reported that "traffickers exploit women, mainly from Eastern Europe, South and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, for sex trafficking.
Traffickers take advantage of short-term tourist visas, available to Ukrainians and Russians, to recruit young women for sex trafficking in bars and private shops, while recruiting some victims of foreign trafficking, with false promises of marriage, or working as bartenders or receptionists. Smugglers subject foreign workers, mainly from North Africa and from South and Southeast Asia, who enter the country on short-term work permits, to forced labour in agriculture. After the expiration of the permits, traffickers continue to exploit migrant workers, through "debt bondage", with threats and withholding of salaries and documents. Domestic workers from India, Nepal, the Philippines and Sri Lanka are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking. Unaccompanied children, migrant children, Roma and asylum seekers are particularly vulnerable to sex trafficking and forced labour. Roma children are vulnerable to forced begging."
The "Police", an ally of traffickers!
As far as the occupied territories are concerned, the US report notes that "the Nightclubs and Similar Entertainment Venues Act of 2000" stipulates that nightclubs can only provide entertainment, such as dance performances, but Turkish Cypriot "representatives" (the "police" and officials of the pseudo-state) rarely apply it."
According to the report, "Turkish Cypriot 'representatives' reported that 27 nightclubs in the Turkish Cypriot-run area employed 98 women in March 2025 (compared to 743 in 2023), while observers reported that nightclubs operated as prostitutes, which usually force women into human trafficking. The Turkish Cypriot "representatives" confiscated the passports of foreign women working in nightclubs and issued them "visas" for "escorts" upon their entry into the area administered by Turkish Cypriots. Although human trafficking was criminalized since 2020, Turkish Cypriot representatives did not investigate, prosecute or convict any traffickers in 2024. They also did not identify any victims of human trafficking and did not provide victim protection services."
The above was confirmed in her intervention at the Cyprus Stop Trafficking event, by the Turkish Cypriot researcher Mine Yucel, who stated, among other things, that the shelter of the "municipality" of Nicosia, which is intended for victims of domestic violence, is the only available shelter in the occupied areas, which occasionally hosts a limited number of victims of human trafficking, depending on the availability of the space. He stressed that "no systematic campaign aims to prevent human trafficking, raise awareness, educate or regulate high-risk sectors, such as agriculture, housework or entertainment, while what is happening is the identification and deportation of foreigners who have exceeded the duration of their stay on their 'visas'". He added that "in the northern part of Cyprus, there is no coordinating body against human trafficking, which makes trafficking an exclusively 'police' issue – there are no public services available for victims of human trafficking and there is no public shelter, or telephone line. There is no reporting mechanism, no public mechanism for identifying victims.
The recognition is based almost entirely on "non-governmental" organizations and in particular on the Human Rights Platform, which conducts ad hoc audits, based on international protocols. Only those victims who actively seek help are recognized, and even then, deportation remains the standard outcome, which prevents about 80% of potential victims from appearing, due to fear of deportation. Deportation remains the default reaction, even for identified victims. Because of the traumatic experience, victims of human trafficking also choose to be deported."
Victims are being "fished" online with false promises of high wages
"Labour exploitation is one of the most common forms of human trafficking in Cyprus and continues to be a dark aspect of our modern society, with traffickers adapting their tactics to the new data of 2025," said the executive president of Cyprus Stop Trafficking, Paraskevi Tseou. He added that "while the official registration of victims for labour exploitation has shown a downward trend from 2020 to date, reports of potential victims are increasing, suggesting that the problem remains deep and evolving. At the heart of the issue is the exploitation of vulnerable groups, mainly migrant workers and asylum seekers, for whom the Council of Europe's Expert Task Force (GRETA) recently called for more protection in April 2025. The lack of transparency in recruitment processes and the need for manpower in specific sectors, such as agriculture, construction and the HoReCa sector (tourism and catering businesses – hotels, restaurants, cafes), create fertile ground for unfair practices."
Ms. Tseou stressed that "beyond the classic methods, such as withholding travel documents and forcing victims to work, to pay exorbitant transport and accommodation 'charges', traffickers are adopting more sophisticated tactics, such as digital deception and virtual seats. With the digital upgrading of businesses a priority and the labour market becoming more fluid, traffickers are now using the internet and social media to post false, attractive job ads.
Potential victims are "fished" online, with false promises of high wages and good conditions, but find that they have been deceived as soon as they arrive in Cyprus. Practices of deprivation of the media and living in isolated areas, often in places with unacceptable hygiene conditions, remain, which makes it difficult for victims to contact the authorities, or to assert their rights. Also, the increased use of flexible and part-time work, while institutionally a positive development, can be misused. The exploiters present the contracts as "flexible", but in reality they impose exhausting hours and uninsured/undeclared work, avoiding control and legal wages."
Paraskevi Tseou finally stated that "with the approval of the Framework for the Employment of Foreign Workers in February 2025, a Tripartite Advisory Committee was created to monitor the implementation. Nevertheless, asylum seekers remain particularly vulnerable, as the uncertainty of their legal status makes them easy targets for exploitation, with very low salaries and the absence of basic rights."
