Cyprus
Kurdish refugee victory

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Amy Bannon

After 16 days of struggle, over 100 Kurdish political asylum seekers forced the Cypriot government to back down and grant them their demands including permits to stay in the country, medical care, work permits and temporary housing.

On 5 May, the refugees arrived in Eleftherias Square in the centre of Nicosia from several cities in Cyrpus and set up tents there. In the following days they marched on the presidential palace and other government ministries calling for an end to police brutality, deportations and detainment. The refugees had a number of meetings with government officials and were promised action to try to meet their demand.

Unsurprisingly however the government later retracted these promises. The Kurdish refugees responded by occupying the Red Cross building in Nicosia. Some went on hunger strike, and the rest refused food to support those on hunger strike. They refused to back down on their demands and after 16 days the government finally backed down and agreed to meet their demands.

This is a victory for political asylum seekers in Cyprus. Members of Youth Against Nationalism, a campaign initiated by CWI members in Cyprus assisted in the campaign raising the issue internationally and building solidarity. As Azad, a young protester from Syria said after the victory, "For the first time in my life I feel I am a human being".