Cyprus’ long-running labour-migration model came under renewed scrutiny on 24 July when rights organisation KISA accused the Social Welfare Services of abruptly expelling 23 Indian nationals from state-funded accommodation. According to a statement released by KISA and confirmed by Cyprus Mail reporting, the migrants – recruited by a private agency for agro-industry jobs – were told to vacate their hostel with less than 48 hours’ notice after their original employer’s licence was suspended. The group, already indebted after paying up-front recruitment fees, were left without legal permission to work while they search for a new sponsor, leaving them unable to pay rent in the middle of a record 41 °C heatwave. KISA says it had to convert part of its Nicosia office into an improvised dormitory to prevent rough-sleeping. The NGO accuses authorities of breaching Article 7 of the EU Reception Conditions Directive, which obliges Member States to provide basic living standards for legally present third-country nationals who become unemployed through no fault of their own. A spokesperson for the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare told Cyprus Mail that the accommodation contracts had expired and that “alternative options were offered,” a claim KISA disputes. The incident has reignited debate around Cyprus’s tied-permit system, under which migrant workers lose their right to reside if they leave an abusive employer before completing six months of service – a rule criticised by the European Commission and local trade unions. For global-mobility managers, the case highlights the importance of robust vendor-due-diligence when outsourcing recruitment in Cyprus. Companies placing staff with third-party labour suppliers should: • Verify that the agency holds a valid licence from the Department of Labour. • Include contract clauses obliging the supplier to fund emergency housing if a placement collapses. • Ensure migrant employees are enrolled in the new online residence-permit portal so status checks can be processed rapidly when assignments change. The government is expected to finalise amendments to the Aliens and Immigration Regulations later this year that would allow dismissed migrants a 60-day grace period to find new work without risking homelessness. Until then, businesses deploying foreign workers to Cyprus should monitor welfare developments closely and budget for contingency housing.
Source: Cyprus Mail
