"Absolutely no Ukrainian who is in Cyprus today, who needs help, will not wait," said Interior Minister Nikos Nouris, saying that the Republic of Cyprus is responding immediately to provide any assistance requested, whether it be housing, food or any other assistance.
A wide departmental meeting was held this morning, under the coordination of the Minister of Interior, with the aim of coordinating the relevant ministries and departments of the state on the management of arrivals of Ukrainians, including issues of housing and social protection, access to the labour market, access to health care and education.
After the meeting, the Minister of Interior, in his statements to journalists, said that there is a "specific European directive regarding the management of Ukrainians who have arrived in member states after February 24."
"Cyprus has already committed and responded that it fully complies with the European directive," he said.
"Today we are here, an enlarged team of fellow ministers and technocrats to study the very specific issues related to the need for our compliance with the directive," he said.
He noted that the first issue "concerns the procedures for the registration of Ukrainians in our country in order to grant them international protection."
He noted that the first issue "concerns the procedures for the registration of Ukrainians in our country in order to grant them international protection. "The second concerns the issues of housing and social protection. The third is access to work, access to health care and the issue of education," he added.
Thanking all the ministries that participated in the meeting, he informed that a simple specific procedure has been decided concerning the Ukrainians who have arrived in the Republic after February 24, who currently number 6024 people. "In addition, there are another 2300 in the Republic, who are already in Cyprus, who are here as tourists or for some other reasons and obviously people are stranded."
"So we are talking about a number that currently numbers around 8000 in the Republic, for which we will submit specific proposals to the upcoming Council of Ministers for the management of these people," the Minister said.
He explained that all the arrangements have been made and that there will be announcements with an electronic posting on the website of the Asylum Service, the Ministry of Interior, where these Ukrainians will be able to register. He added that Ukrainians will receive same-day approval electronically from the Ministry of Interior for this permit. From then on, he continued, "they will have to proceed to the provincial levels of the Aliens and Immigration Service to obtain biometric data in order to be issued a plastic card, which will be valid for up to 12 months - until March 2023 - as per the European directive." The card, he explained, will grant them all rights in terms of health care, work, benefits or housing.
"The Ministry of State for Tourism has already reserved a number of around 3000 rooms to be able to welcome these people," he said."
He noted that there will be coordination with the relevant Ministry of State for Welfare "to direct them according to the family's physiognomy to these accommodations. He added that "the Deputy Ministry of Welfare will announce the method of the subsidy policy, which will also be submitted for approval to the coming Council of Ministers."
Speaking about the right to work, he said that it is given to everyone without exception with the presentation of this card. He informed that employers wishing to employ Ukrainians will be able to declare their intention on a specific platform of the Ministry of Labor and which professions they are interested in.
Ukrainians, he added, by presenting and presenting the specific card, will have the right to be employed, as Cypriots and Cypriots in the community or third country nationals are employed.
"The right to health care is provided without any problems by the relevant Ministry of Health," he stressed.
Referring to the issue of education, which he described as a very serious matter, "a special arrangement is needed regarding the capacity of schools to receive certain numbers."
"It is something that the competent Ministry has certainly undertaken and all the necessary arrangements will be made so that in the event of an expression of interest, children under the age of 18 - which is our obligation - can be classified in the various schools," the Interior Minister said.
Asked by a reporter whether there is a timetable for the implementation of these decisions, the minister stressed that "the timetable is running as of now."
"The decision of the meeting is that absolutely no Ukrainian who is currently in Cyprus, and in need of assistance, will wait," and noted that the decision of next week's Council of Ministers is not needed for formalisation.
"For those people who may come forward and are in need today, whether they need housing, food or any other assistance, it will be provided on an exceptional basis," he stressed.
"And of course once the registration of people in the system that I have announced goes ahead, then we will know the physiognomy of the flows," he said. He added that they will also know who are singles, who are families, how many children there are, how many men and women and proportionately, specific decisions will be taken.
"It is necessary to know the exact physiognomy of these people who are in our country today," he said, noting that it is not known at the moment but, as he said, "we will know it in the next few hours."
"The Republic of Cyprus is reacting immediately, as it has already done in the previous days."
"The Republic of Cyprus is reacting immediately, as it has already done in the previous days. And those who need any assistance will be provided immediately, without - I repeat - waiting for the decision of the Council of Ministers on the basic issues of food and housing", the Minister concluded.
The meeting was attended by the Ministers of Labour and Social Insurance and Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, Mrs. Zeta Aimialianidou and Mr. Prodromos Prodromou, the Deputy Minister to the President Mr. Kyriakos Kousios and the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Ms. Anastasia Anthousi, the Commissioner of Citizens Mr. Panagiotis Sentonas and other officials from relevant ministries and services.
(EFYs)
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