TRNC Parliament approves amnesty bill, awaits president's approval

The TRNC Parliament on Wednesday approved the Foreigners and Immigration (Amendment) Bill (Amnesty) along with other bills. 

The TRNC parliament convened on Wednesday in an extraordinary meeting to approve several bills.

The Foreigners and Immigration (Amendment) Bill, the Medals and Decorations Bill and the Housing Acquisition (Amendment) Bill were passed by majority vote of the General Assembly on Wednesday July 3

Speaking on the bill, CTP MP Sıla Usar İncirli said, “This bill should be a bill of amendment that is bigger than its name, excuse or fault. This means ‘we cannot control illegal life’. Leaving the humanitarian aspect of this issue aside, its economic and social effects will not be good.”

Incirli, who argued that the government cannot intervene in illegal situations and does not care about the injustice between those who do their job properly and those who do not, asked, "Does the government not care at all about the unfair competition between those who fulfill their legal responsibilities and those who do not fulfill their legal responsibilities?"

Incirli, who argued that the bill was a bill that encouraged illegal immigration, claimed that the Parliament issued an amnesty every year, the government did not carry out any inspections, the amnesty was no longer credible, and that as long as the amnesties continued, the economic and social effects would be damaging.

CTP MP Ongun Talat said that the conclusion is that the state does not have the capacity to combat the illegal use problem does not please anyone.

Talat stated that they asked the committee about the measures to be taken to prevent the so-called "last" amnesties, but no satisfactory answers were received.

Talat said that the main application of amnesty laws is amnesty, and that amnesties will continue as long as universities or employers are not burdened with responsibilities.

Talat said that there are people who are victimized by their employers or agencies, that no precautions are taken to prevent this, and that there is no road map.

Talat emphasized that the society's sense of trust has been damaged.

Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, CTP MP Fazilet Özdenefe, criticized the government and said that the government and Minister Oğuz were working on the law without planning or vision.

Özdenefe stated that amnesties have become routine, no one cares about the legislation, and the government is trying to pass laws without any accumulation of data and without studying the laws.

Özdenefe said, “You are exceeding your rights and limits and building a new order in the country with amnesty laws. The Turkish Cypriot people are stuck under this cracked structure,” and added that the necessary precautions were not taken. She said that an amnesty was wanted but that there was no data in this area.

Özdenefe said that no one wants children and families to be victimized, but he also stated that human trafficking is taking place in the country and asked how this can be prevented. She requested information regarding figures, data and measures to be taken.

Reacting to the criticism, Minister of Internal Affairs Dursun Oğuz stated that it is not right to think that the country has gained any benefit from the amnesty, said that a request for amnesty was made, the issue was brought to the agenda upon the request of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, and other changes were made later.

Oğuz said that no one can come to the country without registration, and that those who have gone abroad and have been sentenced are required to come back to the country provided that they find an employer.

He said that the aim is to fully register and ensure family unity, and that they are working to ensure that there is no unregistered status in the country.

Oğuz, who stated that higher education institutions have been targeted regarding educational institutions, said that studies are being carried out regarding those who come to universities as students but do not continue their education. 

He stated that once the e-visa and irregular migration system becomes active, data will be obtained and records will be accessible. “No one can enter our country,” he said adding that immigration is under strict control.

Oğuz noted that the amnesty issue had no political aspect and was made upon the request of business life.

Minister of Labor and Social Security Sadık Gardiyanoğlu thanked everyone who contributed.

Gardiyanoğlu stated that once the law comes into effect, the registration will be done through the employer, and that the data will be obtained.

Gardiyanoğlu said that with the amnesty, data will be obtained on which company the applicants came from and how they became illegal.

The draft law was accepted by a majority vote, with 25 in favor, 1 abstained and 24 against.