Cyprus processed 22,740 citizenship applications between 2020 and 2023, with 7,071 approved in 2022 alone, according to a report by the Audit Office. The audit also revealed significant backlogs in pending applications and highlighted several irregularities in the process.
As of 7 November 2023, a total of 11,891 applications for Cypriot citizenship were outstanding, the Audit Office noted in its report concerning the Migration Department. Of these, 6,801 (57%) were for naturalisation based on years of residency, while 2,243 (19%) were for registration through marriage to a Cypriot citizen. Some of these pending citizenship applications dated back to 2007.
The report drew attention to the case of one European citizen who appeared to have visited Cyprus for only eight days in 2016 and another eight days in 2018, rather than residing in the country for the required three years before applying for citizenship.
In two instances, immigration permits under Category E were granted to applicants who were offered employment in Cyprus but were not employees as stipulated by law. Instead, they were majority shareholders (holding over 50% of the share capital) in their respective companies/employers.
Auditor General Andreas Papacostantinou presented the audit’s findings to the House Control Committee. The findings also included data from the ARS computer system, which showed 23,646 pending applications for entry permits and 37,782 applications for temporary residence permits for domestic workers and general labourers as of 31 July 2023. Many of these applications appeared to have been pending for over five years.
The audit further revealed that a Turkish Cypriot obtained a passport/identity card five times using photographs of five different individuals between 1 January 2020 and 31 July 2023.
In another case, the state paid a foreign national an incentive to leave Cyprus, despite the individual having already been deported.
The average processing time for the examined cases was 37.7 months, the report stated.
The Audit Office concluded that the lengthy application processes and delays in decision-making for third-country nationals were linked to illegal residence and employment in Cyprus, potentially creating conditions for the granting of residence permits on humanitarian grounds.
The report also noted that some funds from the liquidation of guarantee deposits, totalling €1.9 million, have remained in a special fund for over 20 years.
Furthermore, citizenship applications pending since 2007 were among the 11,891 cases awaiting review as of 31 July 2023, the period covered by the Auditor General’s report (1 January 2020 to 31 July 2023).
Additional findings in the report included:
- The Migration Department verbally instructed the cessation of processing new applications for permanent residence permits (Category F) in 2019, resulting in a backlog of approximately 3,000 applications by 31 July 2023.
- A lack of oversight potentially allows individuals who no longer meet the requirements to remain permanently in the Republic.
- There is no system to monitor whether students whose residence permits have expired have left the Republic, raising concerns about an increase in illegal stays.
- Certificates of basic knowledge of Greek or English and experience may not be reliable, potentially affecting their legitimacy.
- The collection of administrative fines amounting to €4.36 million is outstanding.
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