3,700 Children Await Citizenship in Cyprus

During a discussion in the Human Rights Committee of the Greek Cypriot Parliament yesterday, it was revealed that 760 applications meeting the criteria, where one parent is a Turkish Cypriot, are pending, while there are approximately 2,800 applications that do not meet the criteria.

The number of applications involving children with Greek Cypriot parents remains unclear.

16 Years of Waiting for Some Applications

In the meeting, it was highlighted with examples that children who cannot obtain Cypriot citizenship face significant difficulties. There is a child who has been waiting 16 years for their application to be reviewed. There are also adults who have lived in Cyprus for 20, 30, and even 40 years without a resolution to their citizenship status.

The Human Rights Committee will revisit this issue in February.

The Ministry of Interior explained that children have the right to citizenship if one parent is Cypriot, but if the other parent entered or resides in the country illegally, citizenship will not be granted.

Additionally, if the second parent entered or resides illegally, the child's status and citizenship application are reviewed by the Council of Ministers based on specific criteria.

2,885 Applications Not Meeting Criteria, 760 Meeting Criteria

Since the opening of border crossings in 2003, approximately 5,000 citizenships have been granted. Currently, there are around 2,885 pending applications involving children with Turkish Cypriot parents that do not meet the criteria, and 760 applications that do meet the criteria.

Since 2004, there have been 20 unresolved cases involving children with Greek Cypriot parents.

In 2024, 96 cases involving Turkish Cypriots and 25 cases involving Greek Cypriots were approved.

The Ombudsman's report mentioned that there are at least 30 complaints regarding citizenship that deprived children of their fundamental human rights, involving Greek Cypriot or third-country national parents. The report also noted the unclear reasons why these children did not meet the criteria.

In November 2024, the Commissioner for Children's Rights visited the Interior Minister with a child whose application had been pending since 2008.

The Commissioner's office also highlighted various categories of children awaiting citizenship, providing examples of their cases.

Meanwhile, Haravgi newspaper reported that Burak Maviş, General Secretary of the Turkish Cypriot Teachers' Union, stated on behalf of nine unions that they are following the case regarding children of mixed marriages.

Maviş mentioned that the Greek Cypriot Supreme Court will announce its decision on Eda Hançer Akkor's case regarding Cypriot citizenship on February 21.