(The petition in Greek and Turkish below)

Dear Mr. Anastasiades, Dear Mr. Akinci,

One hundred and two Syrian Refugees (69 children and 33 adults, the majority women) are in immediate danger of refoulement (forced deportation). An overwhelming majority of these refugees have family members in Cyprus, and have been stranded in the northern part of Cyprus since March 20 this year.

On April 24, authorities in the north forcibly deported to Turkey 73 adults, who had initially arrived in Cyprus with the above-mentioned group. They are now at grave risk of being deported to Syria, despite their wish to apply for and find protection in an EU member state.

Earlier on March 20, Cypriot border police had forced back to sea a ship carrying the 175 refugees as it approached Cyprus from Turkey. The refugees’ vessel was later intercepted by authorities from the north, and the refugees have since been detained in a sports stadium there. Uncertainty concerning the refugees’ fate stems not only from the measures taken in both parts of our country against COVID-19, but also from the decades-long division of the island, which allows neither Cypriot, nor migrant, nor refugee to enjoy certainty regarding their future and the possibility of living in safety.

Dear leaders,

The overwhelming majority of the remaining refugees are women and children who already have family members in the Republic of Cyprus. They came to Cyprus to find protection and to reunite their families. However, they are being prevented from doing so, despite the legal obligations of Cyprus.

We call on you

• to enforce the law and to not refoule the refugees in any way back to Turkey and eventually Syria, and
• to cooperate and find an immediate solution so that the refugees are reunited with their families and are granted protection in Cyprus.

___________________

(Text inTurkish)

Sayın Anastasiades, Sayın Akıncı

69 çocuk ve 33 yetişkin (çoğunluğu kadın) toplam 102 Suriyeli Mülteci  zorla geri gönderilme tehlikesiyle karşı karşıyadır. 20 Mart’tan beridir Kıbrıs’ın kuzey kesiminde  mahsur kalan mültecilerin büyük çoğunluğunun Kıbrıs'ta aile üyeleri vardır.

Kuzey’deki yetkililer 24/4/2020 tarihinde mültecilerin 73’ünü, sığınma başvurusu yaparak bir AB ülkesine korunma isteklerine ve Suriye’ye zorla geri gönderilme risklerine rağmen Türkiye’ye geri gönderdiler. 175 Suriyeli Mülteciden oluşan grup 20 Mart Cuma günü Türkiye'den yola çıkmış, Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti sularında yakalanarak Kıbrıslı Rum Sınır Kontrol Polisi tarafından denize geri itilmişti. Mülteciler kuzey’e varmış ve hala mahsur kaldıklar stadyuma yerleştirilmişlerdi Bu mülteciler, sadece ülkemizin her iki tarafının COVID-19'a karşı aldığı önlemler nedeniyle değil, aynı zamanda adanın on yıllardır devam eden bölünmüşlüğü nedeniyle hem Kıbrıslıların hem de göçmenlerin ve mültecilerin gelecek ve güvenli yaşam olanaklarıyla ilgili hiçbir şeyin kesin olmamasının getirdiği belirsizlik içindedirler.

Sayın liderler,

şu an burda kalan ve çoğunluğunu kadın ve çocukların oluşturduğu mülteci grubunun bir çoğunun Kıbrıs’ta, özellikle de güneyde aileleri var. Kıbrıs'a korumak ve aileleri ile yeniden bir arada olabilmek için gelen mültecilere Kıbrıs'ın yasal yükümlülüklerine rağmen buna izin verilmiyor.

Sizleri yasayı uygulamaya ve mültecileri Türkiye'ye ve nihayetinde Suriye'ye geri göndermemeye çağırıyoruz.

Sizi işbirliği yapmaya ve mültecilerin aileleriyle yeniden bir araya gelmeleri ve Kıbrıs’ta korunmalarının sağlanması ve derhal bir çözüm bulmaya çağırıyoruz.

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(Text in Greek)

Αγαπητέ κ. Αναστασιάδη, Αγαπητέ κ. Ακιντζί,

102 Σύριοι πρόσφυγες, 69 παιδιά και 33 ενήλικες (στην πλειοψηφία τους γυναίκες), αντιμετωπίζουν άμεσο κίνδυνο επαναπροώθησης. Στην μεγάλη τους πλειοψηφία έχουν μέλη της οικογένειάς στην Κύπρο και βρίσκονται σε αδιέξοδη κατάσταση από τις 20 Μαρτίου στο βορρά.

Στις 24/4/2020 οι αρχές στον βορρά ήδη απέλασαν στην Τουρκία με άμεσο κίνδυνο επαναπροώθησης στην Συρία, άλλους 73 ενήλικες που έφτασαν μαζί, παρά την επιθυμία τους να υποβάλουν αίτηση ασύλου και να ζητήσουν προστασία σε κράτος μέλος της Ε.Ε.

Την Παρασκευή 20 Μαρτίου, ομάδα 175 Σύριων προσφύγων που κατέφτασαν με βάρκα στα χωρικά ύδατα της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας από την Τουρκία, εκδιώχθηκαν στη θάλασσα από τις Ε/Κ αρχές προστασίας των συνόρων. Κατέληξαν στον βορρά όπου παραλήφθηκαν και παρέμειναν σε αδιέξοδη κατάσταση και υπό κράτηση σε ένα στάδιο.

Οι πρόσφυγες παρέμειναν εκεί έκτοτε σε αβέβαιη κατάσταση, όχι μόνο λόγω των μέτρων που λήφθηκαν και στις δύο πλευρές της χώρας μας, αλλά λόγω και της συνεχιζόμενης διαίρεσης του νησιού μας που δεν επιτρέπει τόσο στους Κύπριους όσο και σε μετανάστες και πρόσφυγες να νοιώθουν βεβαιότητα για το μέλλον τους και τις πιθανότητες να ζήσουν με ασφάλεια.

Αγαπητοί ηγέτες,

Οι πρόσφυγες που παρέμειναν, είναι στην μεγάλη τους πλειοψηφία γυναίκες και παιδιά, που ήδη έχουν μέλη της οικογένειάς τους στην Κύπρο και πιο συγκεκριμένα στο νότο. Ήρθαν στην Κύπρο για να βρουν προστασία  και να επανενώσουν την οικογένειά τους αλλά δεν τους επιτρέπεται, παρά τις νομικές υποχρεώσεις της Κύπρου.

Σας καλούμε

• να εφαρμόσετε το δίκαιο και το νόμο και να μην επαναπροωθήσετε τους πρόσφυγες με οποιονδήποτε τρόπο στη Τουρκία και τελικά στη Συρία και
• να  συνεργαστείτε και να βρείτε άμεση λύση έτσι ώστε οι πρόσφυγες να επανενωθούν με τις οικογένειες τους και να τους δοθεί προστασία στην Κύπρο.