In response to the article we published with entertainer Andy Reay click here on the subject of what do you do during Self Isolation, we have started to receive messages from many people as you will see.
We have another difficult case of Pamela and Eddy Padden who are stuck in Goa, India and want their friends and family to know where they are and are desperate to know when they can come back to the TRNC.
For those readers who would also like to share their experiences please email kyreniacommentator@cyprusscene.com and we will try to publish them on our website and in our weekly online e-newspaper. Let’s try to make the world happy again by sharing good news.
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.
******
Readers Mail….
From Pamela Padden.
Hello Chris,
We are currently in Goa, India having flown from our home in TRNC in January for a long holiday, to escape the cold, rainy Cyprus Winter.
Just before we were due to come home, the world went mad and Cyprus closed its borders. Shortly afterwards, India and the UK followed suit and we have been stuck here ever since with no idea how or when we can get back.
We are currently waiting to see whether the UK will be arranging to repatriate its Citizens, as Germany, Russia and Sweden have done and we have registered our details with the Consulate here and, rumour has it, this may happen soon.
Our dilemma is that we have lived in TRNC for 10 years and don’t have any other home. Well meaning UK friends and family have said we can stay with them (and we are so very grateful) but we will need to self quarantine for 2 weeks and would not want to put anyone at risk.
We are trying to find somewhere in the UK to rent but it is not easy. Hotels and other places are closed and many private rentals are wary of people coming from abroad. There are many things which are influencing our decision regarding whether or not to repatriate to the UK:
The number of Coronavirus cases in India as a whole is dramatically increasing.
If we are offered repatriation and turn it down the UK consulate may well ‘wash its hands of us’.
We really miss our home and friends.
There is a UK based pressure group trying to get the TRNC Government to allow homeowners with residency (and therefore a legal entitlement to live there, or what was the point?) to return home and if we are still in India and they are successful we will not be in a position to go.
However, with no chance of being able to return straight home and if we can’t find somewhere suitable to stay in the UK, we will probably have no choice but to take our chance and stay put ’til the borders open up again.
We have attended a number of functions where TRNC Prime Minister Tatar had spoken passionately of how he values the ex-pat community but his Government actions in only allowing Turkish Cypriot Citizens to return to their homes do not appear to support his view.
Stay safe and well.
Best wishes
Pamela & Eddy
