A heated debate in the House Health Committee on 15 October 2026 exposed deep divisions over the health ministry’s proposal to import up to 150 nurses from non-EU countries to plug staffing gaps. Union representatives from PASYNO, PASYDY and SEK told MPs that bringing in foreign personnel is a "band-aid" that ignores low wages and burnout driving Cypriot nurses abroad. Under the draft decree, private and public hospitals could employ third-country nurses for two-year periods, capped at 10 percent of total nursing staff. Candidates would need recognised qualifications, two years’ experience and Greek at C1 level—tougher than for EU nurses. The ministry argues the measure is temporary while domestic training pipelines expand; university enrolments in nursing have already risen from 98 students in 2024 to 238 this year. Business and expatriate groups broadly support the idea, noting that travel-insurance firms and offshore companies rely on private clinics that have closed beds due to shortages. Hospitals claim they have postponed major surgeries because they cannot safely staff intensive-care units. Unions counter that importing labour without tackling root causes will fuel turnover. They cited data showing 1,450 licensed nurses no longer practise in Cyprus and 988 under-40s have let their registration lapse. They urged the state to raise public-sector pay scales and enforce working-hours rules in the private sector before recruiting abroad. The committee will reconvene on 29 October; if the decree passes, recruitment agencies expect demand from the Philippines, India and Jordan, countries whose nursing curricula already map to EU standards. Employers will still have to secure standard Cyprus work and residence permits, but the health ministry promises a fast-track lane, cutting approval times from three months to six weeks.
Source: Cyprus Mail
