Refugees and Their Assets: How a Temporary Solution Became Home for Generations of Refugees

Pioneering article on Cypriot refugees

Morrows and joys in refugee camps

The suffering of forced eviction, the worry about temporary accommodation until they return to their homes, the difficulties they faced in their first days as refugees that lasted for months, years, the sadness but also the joys in the refugee camps, such as births and weddings, remain deeply imprinted in the memory of Cypriot refugees.

The settlement of thousands of refugees who were evicted from their homes during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 was a great challenge for the government to manage the economic and social consequences of, among other things, the Turkish invasion. Refugees were forced to seek temporary shelter wherever they could, such as staying with relatives, but also in temporary accommodations provided to them by the government.

Many lived for years in tents in refugee camps where they faced countless hardships due to lack of infrastructure, especially when it rained, as reported daily in the press at the time. Tents were blown down by strong winds, settlements were flooded by rain, and there was a need, among other things, to improve living conditions, speed up the installation of electricity, running water and toilets in the camps, and pay rent assistance so that they could find more suitable housing.

Construction of housing and settlements for refugees.

The construction of dwellings, apartment buildings and houses in government resettlement settlements for refugees began in 1975 and continued until the mid-1990s, according to the Department of Urban Planning and Housing of the Ministry of Interior, while some dwellings were also built or renovated between 2006 and 2011.

Many refugees stayed for years in camps until they were given a house in a settlement or finished building their home in a self-build zone.

Mihalis Michael from Famagusta, who was 11 years old when he fled the coastal town, tells the Cyprus News Agency about the conditions in which he and his family lived in the Dasaki tis Achnas refugee camp for about six years, from August 1974 until 1980, when they moved into a house they built in Dromolaxia through the government's self-build housing program.

Michael said that initially, after fleeing Famagusta as Turkish troops advanced, they slept for two days in a lemon tree "When we arrived, there were already about 30,000-40,000 refugees there," he said.

Difficulty in housing and self-building programs

Michael said they slept under pine trees for the first few days and were later given a family tent and a year later, beds in tents. "Our tent used to flood in the winter, our parents feared we would get sick. We cooked with wood, in a boiler. We children carried wood for the fire," he said. "After two or three years they built a hut for us and we stayed there until 1980. My sister got married in Dasaki tis Akhnas, in these houses. "

Michael also said that there was no water and it was brought by the Nazis and there was a wooden structure covered with canvas bags used as a toilet area. There was also a bathing area and people brought a bucket of water with them to wash themselves.

Michael and his family left the camp in 1980 when the house his father had been building on his own in Dromolaxia, in the district of Larnaca, on land given to them by the government under the self-build housing program, was completed. Along with the plot, the government also gave a sum of money to the refugees to build their house.

The seven-year wait for a house in the refugee settlement of Sokratis Ioannou, who was living with his wife and only 6-month-old son in the village of Xeros when the invasion took place, told the Cyprus News Agency that they initially stayed with relatives after fleeing the village and then in a house with his wife and child, his mother-in-law and his wife's two sisters.

He said the bishopric allowed the refugees to build temporary housing there and that, as he had by then found work, he paid 500 Cypriot pounds to build a room, kitchen and toilet. They lived there for about six years, waiting to be given a refugee home. In early 1979, a daughter was born to them. Four members of the family moved from there in 1984 when they were given a house in a government refugee settlement in Lakatamia, in the district of Nicosia, like many people living in this temporary settlement.

Modern problems and solution programs

The 66 state refugee settlements contain more than 95% of the 13,635 housing units belonging to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation refugees, according to the Department of Urban Planning and Housing, while a small percentage is made up of people who later bought apartments, non resettled Cypriots and/or foreign nationals who bought apartments from the original recipients or their heirs after obtaining ownership.

The "Ktizo" program is currently underway, which according to Interior Ministry spokeswoman Margarita Kyriacou, "represents the most decisive state intervention in the housing sector in the last 50 years, as it was prompted by the need to address the problems faced by evictees entitled to mass housing after the invasion. "

She noted that the program, introduced by the current government in April, aims to finally resolve the problems faced by residents of 358 apartment buildings in refugee settlements across Cyprus. The vision of the Home Office and the government "is to provide decent and safe living conditions for hundreds of our compatriots," she said.

She added that the program is a "government priority" as part of its housing strategy, which is in the process of being established, and seeks to modernize policies and programs focused on creating a unified housing agency.

Kiriakou said 245 apartment buildings have been deemed satisfactory under the Ctizo program, 70 apartment buildings have problems and need maintenance, and 43 apartment buildings are facing static problems and are deemed impossible to repair.

She said the program began with the evacuation and demolition of 20 apartment buildings that experts deemed dangerous and unfit as a priority. Residents of these buildings have already been informed about the provisions of the program and have started to move out of their apartments and apply to participate in the program. Construction of the first apartment buildings is expected to begin by the end of 2023 and the renovation will be completed within two years," Kiriakou said.

Closure

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of peace talks under UN auspices have so far failed to yield results. The last round of talks in July 2017 in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Read more: 20 refugee apartment buildings earmarked for immediate demolition