The debate over the financial support provided to applicants for international protection has taken centre stage in Cyprus, with misinformation roaming rampant and fuelling anti-immigrant rhetoric.
These questions found answers in the allocations presented last Tuesday by Marilena Evangelou, the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, before the ad-hoc parliamentary committee on the study of the demographic problem.
The allowances in question are intended for all individuals residing outside the reception and accommodation centres for applicants for international protection. According to a statement from the Deputy Minister, beneficiaries of material reception conditions include applicants for international protection who have legal and continuous residence in the areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus, under the effective control of the government, and are not employed. These material reception conditions encompass:
- Financial assistance for covering basic needs such as food, clothing, and footwear.
- Financial assistance for covering personal minor expenses, including electricity and water bills.
The amount of financial assistance for personal minor expenses varies depending on the applicant’s place of residence.
Applicants who reside alone receive €186 for food, clothing, and footwear, as well as €75 for electricity and water expenses if they present a lease agreement. If no lease agreement is provided, they receive only €28. Additionally, they receive a €100 housing allowance.
Based on these figures, the following conclusions can be drawn:
- A single applicant living alone receives a monthly allowance of €361 or €314 without a lease agreement.
- A family of two members, depending on their place of residence, receives between €425 and €497 for food, clothing, and footwear, and between €146 and €218 for electricity, water, and minor expenses.
- A family of three members, depending on the presence of a lease agreement, receives between €372 and €290 for electricity, water, and minor expenses.
- A family of four members, depending on the presence of a lease agreement, receives between €635 and €846, including rent.
- A family of five members or more, depending on their place of residence and the presence of a lease agreement, receives between €749 and €1,155, covering all expenses from food and clothing to electricity, water, and rent.
Regarding the total allowances allocated in recent years, according to data presented by Evangelou:
- In 2019, €10.9 million was spent on 4,374 households.
- In 2020, €25.5 million was spent on 6,273 households.
- In 2021, €34.9 million was allocated to 8,131 households.
- In 2022, €33 million was distributed among 7,990 households.
- As of July of the current year, €19.5 million has been distributed to 6,606 households.
To put this into perspective, December 2022, the final month of the year, saw €4,304,667 distributed among 7,990 families, resulting in an average allowance of €413 per family per month.
Cypriot citizens receive far more in allowances
Furthermore, according to the law, it is allowed to provide less favourable treatment to asylum seekers compared to that afforded to Cypriot citizens, especially when the material reception conditions are provided, in part, in kind, or in cases where the levels provided to Cypriot citizens aim to ensure a higher standard of living than what is prescribed for asylum seekers in the law.
Referring to the material reception conditions, the Deputy Minister indicated that the amount of assistance for a single asylum seeker (basic needs and rent allowance) amounts to €361, while the equivalent sum under the Minimum Guaranteed Income for a single person (Cypriot citizen) in Nicosia is €703.
It should be noted that Cyprus receives financial support from the EU at various levels, starting from the construction of reception and detention centres, remuneration for 54 full-time employees, to the payment of €1,000-€1,500 for each foreigner whose application is rejected, and who is expected to leave Cyprus.
According to the Deputy Minister, due to the continued increase in migration flows in recent years, the number of beneficiaries of material reception conditions has significantly increased. However, as stated before the Parliament by the Minister of Interior, the number of arrivals in Cyprus this year has been lower than those being deported, leading to gradual changes in the data.