Voting on a law regulating the long-standing issue of granting title deeds to residents of refugee settlements has been postponed until after the summer recess, due to a disagreement between the House Refugee Committee and the Ministry of Interior.
At the centre of the dispute lies the allocation of title deeds to enclaved persons and the construction of houses on state land. The House Refugee Committee had requested the issuance of property titles for small dwellings used by enclaved individuals, which were temporarily granted to them for use in the free areas of the Republic. However, the Ministry of Interior rejected this proposal.
Furthermore, the Committee had also sought the granting of title deeds for 40 houses located in Nicosia, which were built on state land with the guidance of the government. However, these houses do not fall within the boundaries of established refugee settlements. The Ministry of Interior expressed its opposition to this request as well.
Nikos Kettiros, Chairman of the Committee Akel MP said that the revised draft legislation no longer includes the provision mandating a five-year commitment for leasing certificates, which would have required property owners to retain the certificates before selling their properties. Additionally, on-site inspections for issuing property titles and leasing certificates have been eliminated.
Kettiros further highlighted that according to the revised law, property titles and certificates will be issued even if minor irregularities exist within the plots, as long as they do not encroach upon green spaces, sidewalks, and foreign property. He also noted that the number of enclaved persons is decreasing.
The disagreement between the Ministry of Interior and the Committee also centres around the proposed legislation for title deeds on houses built on state land outside refugee settlements. Kettiros emphasised that the government had originally designated this land for housing construction, but now seeks to reclaim these houses from refugees, thereby seeking to generate profit.
In addition, Diko MP Zacharias Koulias labelled the issue of houses used by enclaved persons as a “casus belli.” In his statements, Koulias pointed out that the number of houses used by enclaved persons in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus is minimal.
“Our position is that these individuals have already endured significant hardship. Despite not having refugee status, the government should grant them ownership of these houses,” Koulias said.
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