The need to review the refugee policy was stressed on Tuesday by Interior Minister Nikos Nouris at a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee for Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons and Victims, which discussed the issue of the loss of use of occupied properties.
During the session, which was attended by the Minister of Interior and the Speaker of the Parliament, Anita Demetriou, the study of the Equal Burden Sharing Body on the financial support of owners of occupied property against their lost income was briefly presented.
In his statements after the end of the session, Mr. Nouris said that it is perfectly justified for refugees to claim compensation or connectivity to their land, noting that there are many problems stemming from the inability to assess these properties due to the Turkish invasion.
Furthermore, he said that it is the government's position that the refugee policy should be reviewed in a specific way because, he said, the needs of refugees were different in 1974 and they are different today.
The Interior Minister said that the Ministry is working in order to solve the objective problems that arise and to provide a solution that is dignified and based on equality among all those who have property in the occupied territories.
In fact, he described the study of the Equal Burden Sharing Body as "remarkable" and as "an extremely important tool that we have in our hands".
The President of the Refugee Committee, Nikos Ketteros, said that the Ministry of Interior should provide answers and should present a concrete plan.
"For two years the government has not taken a single step to come up with a concrete plan to support the owners of occupied properties," Ketteros said.
He went on to say that there is stagnation in the management of the issue and added that "we have asked the government to finally assume its responsibility." He noted that the government says that the plan announced in 2017 by the then Interior Minister, Constantinos Petrides, cannot operate simultaneously with the housing plans of the Displaced Persons Care and Rehabilitation Service.
DISY MP Nikos Georgiou said that at the same time that refugees see their properties in the occupied territories being looted, the state must assume its responsibilities. The issue of compensation for refugees is "a deep moral obligation of the State towards this people who lost everything overnight."
He added that DISY recognizes the inalienable right to compensation for loss of use of refugees and supports every effort in this direction.
DIKO MP Zacharias Koulias said the government did not give the impression that it was ready to implement the demand of the refugee world.
He spoke of the attachment of the refugee to his land and suggested the introduction of an amount "that is reasonable and bearable" and prevents appeals to the Property Commission of the Occupied People. He concluded by saying that it is imperative to move forward with the legislation.
DIKO MP Christos Seneces noted that the discussion on the loss of use of occupied properties is about partial restoration of the solvency of refugees, but also compensation for the goodwill gained by the properties in the free territories.
Seneca added that compensation for loss of use could serve as a tool "to limit recourse to the Occupied Property Commission".
EDEK MP Kostis Efstathiou said that "we as a state owe support to the refugees", calling it a moral and legal issue.
In addition, he said that the law passed almost two years ago regarding the reimbursement of an amount from sales in free areas to refugees "as a sign of support" should finally be implemented. The executive must find solutions, he said.
DPA MP Michalis Yakoumi said that the refugee housing policy has nothing to do with loss of use, adding that it is the duty of the state to provide shelter to refugee children because they have no property in the free areas.
On the issue of loss of use, he said it has become a mockery and political careers have been set up, saying that linking housing policy with loss of use is unfair to the young refugee population.
Source: CNA
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