Cyprus Police said on 11 October that thirteen people were arrested during coordinated overnight operations across all districts. While the majority were detained for burglary, drug possession and drunk-driving, two individuals were found to be residing in the Republic without valid permits, according to a statement carried by In-Cyprus. Officers set up checkpoints on major highways and secondary roads, inspecting more than 700 vehicles and issuing 281 traffic fines – 127 of them for speeding. Immigration officers accompanied the patrols to verify the residence status of foreign nationals encountered during the sweep. Those without documents were transferred to the Menoyia detention facility pending deportation proceedings. The blitz follows Interior Ministry orders for “visible and continuous enforcement” ahead of the winter tourism season, during which hotels traditionally hire large numbers of third-country nationals on seasonal visas. Employers have been reminded that harbouring or hiring migrants without valid papers can trigger fines of up to €16,000 per worker and potential criminal charges. Labour consultants say companies should expect unannounced workplace inspections in the coming weeks and ensure that all foreign staff carry copies of their pink slips or digital residence permits. Hotels in Paphos and Ayia Napa are particularly under scrutiny after dozens of staff were found working on expired student visas last summer. Road-safety NGOs welcomed the traffic component of the operation but urged police to publish anonymised data distinguishing between traffic and immigration offences to avoid stigmatising lawful migrants.
Source: In-Cyprus (via XploreCyprus)
