North Cyprus to start a 45-days amnesty program for unregistered workers on August 5, over 4,000 people to benefit

The TRNC government will introduce immigration amnesty which will begin on August 5, lasting 45 days, and will target unregistered workers, Minister of Labour and Social Security, Sadık Gardiyanoğlu, announced on Monday.

Unregistered workers, primarily students and those who entered the country for various reasons will be offered the amnesty which is expected to benefit around 4,000 people. During this period, the Labour Department will not accept new applications from workers from developing countries starting from August 2.

Gardiyanoğlu noted that 70% of undeclared workers found during recent inspections were African students. He emphasised that many of these individuals were employed in construction and other sectors but were working off the books, leading to unfair competition and unsafe working conditions. He criticised the practice and expressed a commitment to rectify it.

He also addressed the dismissal of his former Private Secretary, Oğuz Köse, who is under investigation for alleged legal violations, including bribery. Gardiyanoğlu stated he had not personally felt the impact of these allegations and emphasised his willingness to cooperate with the investigation.

Regarding the increasing number of foreign workers, Gardiyanoğlu is working on introducing a different minimum wage for foreigners and plans significant changes in October to address social security and working conditions. He explained that these changes aim to balance the costs and benefits for both local and foreign workers.

Since March 2024, 12,000 people have been registered with social insurance due to increased inspections and premium support. A new regulation will allow people over 63 with insufficient investments to buy up to five years of coverage to qualify for a pension.

On the topic of local employment, Gardiyanoğlu plans to train 500 intermediate staff over five years and support their employment through state-funded social security contributions. He also highlighted a project to integrate more women into the workforce.

The labour minister clarified that his ministry does not face a resource shortage and expressed readiness to make necessary reforms, including changes to the minimum wage system and social security benefits. He reaffirmed his commitment to improving transparency and efficiency within the department.

Yeniduzen