Indicator history

The integration plan applies only to third country nationals lawfully residing in Cyprus including recognised refugees, individuals under international protection status and "partially to asylum seekers".  It does not extent to national minority groups such as the Roma or to undocumented migrants, which is the group most at risk of exclusion. In the process of the consultation that preceded the finalisation and adoption of the plan, the NGOs' expressed concern as regards the non-inclusion of undocumented migrants, but this was not taken into account in the final draft.

In preparation for the national action plan on integration, in 2009, the Interior Ministry had set up an inter-departmental committee of experts on the integration of migrants in Cyprus and invited governmental departments and other stakeholders to submit comments. The Ombudsman proposed twelve key proposals as the main parameters of the policy, which appear by and large to have been adopted in the integration strategy by Ministry. Interestingly, the Ombudsman’s proposals only cover legally resident migrants, leaving the large number of irregular migrants beyond the scope of such policy; there are only two reference to the needs of irregular migrants, where the ombudsman calls for entitling them to access to social services such as the protection of their life, health, human dignity and the provision of basic subsistence such as health and social welfare, as well for ensuring access to education for children of irregular migrants without having to reveal the whereabouts of their parents. During the stakeholders’ meeting, a number of criticisms and concerns were levelled by some of the participating stakeholders. Trade unions and employers’ organisations stressed the labour inequalities and discrimination facing migrant workers but in general accepted the Ministry’s plan as presented.