Over 1000 amnesty applications rejected for not meeting conditions: TRNC minister of Interior

Image Source: Kıbrıs Postası

More than 6,000 out of over 7,000 applications submitted for Immigration Amnesty has been approved, said the TRNC minister of Interior Dursun Oğuz.

Dursun Oğuz made the announcement on Kıbrıs Postası TV on Wednesday while giving update on the Immigration Amnesty.

According to the minister, 7,659 people applied for the Immigration Amnesty and 6,165 of these applications were approved while over 1,000 were rejected.

“Not all applicants were approved, we had tied this amnesty to conditions. We also approached it from a humanitarian perspective,” the minister said.

Oğuz underlined that the approach of "When an amnesty is declared, they bring the criminals" is not correct saying, "In this amnesty, everything was subject to a work permit and only then could they enter. Those who wanted to benefit from the amnesty in the TRNC came by finding an employer and having family ties."

“I wish everyone would benefit from the amnesty and be registered so that we could know about it,” he said emphasizing that they turned the unknown into the known and made a contribution.

Pointing out that the Immigration Amnesty is an amnesty related to working life and is an amnesty suitable for its purpose, Dursun Oğuz said, “We can disclose any information anyone wants. It is not true that criminals are pardoned and brought back to the country.”

He stated that the approach of “bringing criminals and filling them in” is not correct, that they are all family ties, family dramas, and said, “We are investigating all of them and evaluating them within this framework.”

Stating that people rightfully criticize because they do not know the background of the decisions taken, the minister said, “The decisions taken have a basis. The decisions taken are humane and conscientious. The state has to solve problems, it has to be fair while solving problems.”

Underlining that they do not want the TRNC to be a crime center, to be unregistered, and to be a refugee issue in international crime and the fight against crime, Oğuz said, “We have active work on these as well. We have completed their infrastructure, and we are about to complete the technical deficiencies.” He stated that it is essential to check the purpose of those coming to the country.

The Minister reminded that there is no condition that everyone will become a citizen and that the laws are clear. Oğuz said, “There is no such thing as everyone who comes to this country and lives in this country will become a citizen. The conditions are clear, the laws are clear.”

He stated that the government was trying to solve the problems and that they would continue to work to serve the public.