By Chris Elliott..
Sitting at home in self Isolation in Northern Cyprus, I have been studying news reports about the Coronavirus situation and I was interested in a TV broadcast in which Dominic Raab the UK First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs was talking about a £75m plan to get ‘tens of thousands’ of British tourists home.
Straight away I ask myself what about the expats in the TRNC wanting to get to the UK and those in the UK wanting to come back to their homes in the TRNC.
A big problem is flights and the TRNC have been doing a great job in Coronavirus control and a few days ago helped a group to cross the closed border into the south of Cyprus before these people were able to fly to Gatwick from Paphos on the last 2 Easyjet flights before the Easyjet fleet was grounded.
At the moment no flights are operating from south Cyprus and the only other route to the TRNC is via Turkey and the only people allowed to enter the TRNC are their citizens who have to go into 14 day Self Isolation.
So what about those British expats stranded in the UK and TRNC who are unable to reach their destinations due to lockdown or cancelled flights.
In another TV broadcast Emily Thornberry the UK Labour, Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs was passing comments about what Dominic Raab had been saying about repatriation plans and she said that perhaps the UK Royal Air Force could help with flights to get people moved from one location to another.
What a brilliant idea as the RAF have suitable aircraft including the Queen’s flight based with other aircraft at Northolt airfield near London and other suitable aircraft at other airfields that could fly direct from the UK to Ercan Airport in Northern Cyprus to collect expats wanting to get back to the UK.
If the TRNC Council of Ministers would permit, these same aircraft could bring back to the TRNC expats who live here and on arrival they would need to go into self Isolation like returning TRNC citizens..
The only problem with this humanitarian action would be the unfair embargo placed on Northern Cyprus which is so long in the tooth and should now be done away with. After all said and done the UK is a party to the Cyprus Treaty of Guarantee and like Turkey did in 1974, it has every right to safeguard its citizens by mounting direct mercy flights into the TRNC and in other words enacting the right of Force Majeure.
That’s my thoughts on this issue and no doubt many people will find this idea to be a token of hope and it’s down to governments and people in power to make it happen.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
For those people who are wanting to return from the UK to the TRNC or go from the TRNC to the UK please go to Facebook page “TRNC Residents trying to get home” click here and register your details as directed .
If the opportunity to make a return journey arises, then your details are on file to pass to the relevant authorities.
Maybe it’s time for the U.K. to lift the Embargo on the TRNC For Good.
What could possibly be wrong with that.
Hello we have friends here in the trnc from Ireland who have also been stranded here due to their flights being canceled. They are both retired and over 60 and own a house here in the trnc. From a news report yesterday (Gundem Kibris) those over stayed are now required to apply for resident permits, by the 11th July 2020 or be fined. It seems these people are now being forced to apply for residents permits by 11 of July when there are still no flights available for them to leave. They have the option to book flights from the south but it is still unclear whether they will be allowed to cross the boarder or be allowed into the south to catch their flights ? Please could you advise what they can do ? The residents permit they now need to apply for is costly and much documentation is required. It is also still unclear when flights will resume to normal… At least they should be allowed to stay until flights are up and running so they can leave…
Hello Tropez,
Thank you for your comment and we would advise caution as there is so much here say and conflicting reports being thrown around in the media and social media.
We have been publishing very helpful information from 2 NGOs who are in contact with the authorities and we would suggest that your friends register their plight through the following link
https://cyprusscene.com/2020/06/03/tfr-meet-ministry-again-about-trnc-expats-repatriation-flights/
Secondly, another good source of ongoing information has been circulated as on the following link.
https://cyprusscene.com/2020/06/10/brs-news-of-travel-and-other-issues-at-8th-june-2020/
Regarding your comment about people stranded in the TRNC being asked to apply for temporary residency, we will pass this to those who are in the position to check out the validity of the claim.
Hello again Tropaz,
Here is a further news update for you.
BRS say TRNC online Residency application system is now working
https://cyprusscene.com/2020/06/14/brs-say-trnc-online-residency-application-system-is-now-working/