TRNC government plans tighter Ercan airport controls, entry checks, and amnesty for illegal workers in the country

Tougher entry and exit controls at Ercan airport in North Cyprus are being considered by ministers in a bid to combat the number of illegal workers in the country.

According to the announcement last week Thursday by Labour and Social Security Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu, the government was also considering an “amnesty” for those without valid work permits as part of its efforts to address the problem, and would draft a measure at Parliament in October.

He told a television programme the number of illegal workers in the TRNC was estimated to have risen to some 20 per cent of the total workforce, adding: 

An illegal worker faces problems, such as in the case of illness or injury there is no state health provision for them so they must pay for medical help, which they may not be able to afford. It is a problem from the state's perspective too.

The present circumstances have resulted in human trafficking by various groups . . . Our aim is to put an end to illegal workers.