Authorities and state services were caught off guard at the sight of a homeless shelter on the Amathountos coastal road in Limassol.
In an area dominated by towers with luxurious apartments worth millions and hotel units, just a bit further ahead of the shoreline, an abandoned hotel has been transformed into a shelter for homeless people.
The former Aquarius Hotel, located on the coastal road of Mouttagiaka, next to well-known seaside bars and establishments, has been home to migrants, mainly from Pakistan, for quite some time now.
They have converted the former hotel rooms into living spaces. The scenes encountered upon entering through a small hole in the building’s fence are indescribable.
Dozens of piles of rubble and garbage, foul smells, filth, and rodents are what one finds within and around the abandoned premises.
Yesterday morning, philenews entered the abandoned Aquarius Hotel and documented the situation.
The room windows have been boarded up rooms with wooden planks, making them temporary living spaces. Without water, electricity, or functioning sanitation facilities, the building has become a sanitary hazard.
During our visit, we met a young man from Pakistan who was about to leave, possibly to go to work. When asked why he has been forced to live under such conditions, his response was clear.
“Rent in Limassol is very expensive, even for a room. You can’t find a place to stay.” He explained that for the past two weeks, he has been staying at this location with a friend.
Distressed and with tears in his eyes, he described how frightening it is to stay there at night, so no one dares to stay alone in the abandoned hotel.
The 20-year-old, fully aware of his living conditions, mentioned that with the money he earns, he can barely afford food. He bathes at the municipal baths nearby and sometimes in the sea.
He added that he has been in Cyprus for two years, with his family remaining in Pakistan, and from his statements, it was implied that he might have entered the Republic illegally.
“I don’t want to stay here, but I have no other choice,” he said, adding that he occasionally works in gardens or as a food delivery person.
In one of the rooms, we found another man sleeping. Although we tried to speak to him, he did not respond.
In the adjacent room, as captured in the photos by philenews there are clothes hanging, a drying rack full of clothes, and chairs outside the makeshift room.
Local authorities and the police were informed of the situation following a post by the former General Secretary of DIKO, Athos Antoniades, on the “X” platform last Sunday.
Immediate response from the Mayor of Amathounta
Philenews contacted the Mayor of Amathounta, Kyriakos Xydias, as the area now falls under the newly established municipality.
Despite taking office just yesterday, Xydias stated that he was informed about the issue and immediately contacted Limassol Police to intervene in collaboration with Social Welfare Services to relocate the foreigners from the current site.
The hotel, as philenews learned, belongs to a foreign individual and is owned by Issa Bros Cyprus Hotels Ltd.
The company had submitted an environmental study to the Environment Department for the demolition of Aquarius and the creation of a new four-star hotel.
In 2023, the Environment Department approved the development for the construction and operation of the Aquarius Beach Hotel. It is a seaside plot with a total area of 3,987 square meters, accessible via Amathountos Avenue.
Sanitary hazard in the heart of the tourist area
The entire issue is very serious, and immediate measures need to be taken to help these people.
Once again, this highlights that the state mechanism operates slowly, and if the issue had not come to light, the next report might have concerned a dead homeless person in the abandoned Aquarius Hotel.
At the same time, the area has become a sanitary hazard with rodents finding refuge, with the homeless people living there potentially spreading infectious diseases due to the overall situation.
The risks of spreading infectious diseases are evident as these people have no water, sleep roughly on the ground and on dirty mattresses.
