Cyprus’s immigration system faces significant challenges after an audit revealed multiple irregularities, including a case where a Turkish Cypriot obtained passports and identity cards five times using different individuals’ photographs.
The Auditor General’s review of the Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD), covering January 2020 to July 2023, uncovered systemic issues including substantial application backlogs and weak controls.
The audit found 11,891 pending citizenship applications as of July 2023, with some dating back to 2007. The average processing time for applications reached 37.7 months, highlighting significant delays in the system.
The department suspended processing new permanent residence permits in November 2019 following verbal instructions, resulting in approximately 3,000 pending applications by July 2023. The Attorney General recently ruled this suspension unlawful.
The investigation also revealed €4.36 million in uncollected administrative fines and €1.9 million in liquidated guarantees remaining in a special fund for over 20 years.
“There is no ability to monitor whether students with expired residence permits have left the Republic, risking an increase in irregular residency cases”, the audit report stated.
The examination found that 12% of the sample remained in Cyprus after permit expiration.
The department also faces challenges in verifying the authenticity of language proficiency certificates and work experience documentation for foreign workers, potentially affecting the legitimacy of permits issued.
Officials noted that lengthy application processing times and decision delays are contributing to illegal residence and employment of third-country nationals, creating conditions for obtaining residence permits on humanitarian grounds.
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