Refugees in Cyprus

[stavrizatz]

A refugee is certainly a wrong word for the generations not seeking refuge somewhere else. However when in Cyprus we say I am refugee, we all know what we mean. It is way to identify where someone is from. In terms of claiming benefits from being a refugee, it is obvious that refugees are unpriviledged in Cyprus as they were forced to start from scratch. Some managed to gian wealth but the majority didn't. My parents are refugees and we own land in the occupied areas so there is nothing for me, as opposed to all my friends in limassol and Paphos who have hundreds of thousads of pounds. At least children of refugees should have some benefits imo. And of course there will be those who will take advantage of the situation and the funds send to Cypriot refugees by foreign aid.

Foreigners do not get the situation and say "why do you call yourself a refugee, to gain sympathy?" Greek Cypriot sceptics or neocypriots buy their story "oh, we are not refugees".

So yes Larissa, in Cyprus most descentants of refugees call themselves refugees, so what?
And children of Greek Cypriots in London call themselves Cypriots and Turkish people in Germany who never lived in Turkey call themselves Turks. It is only natural to take on the identity of the parents, isn't it.

[Gardash]

How about
Refugee= someone who cannot go home?

[stavrizatz]

That is how we use it in Cyprus.

Literally is wrong...refugee=someone who is seeking refuge somewhere else.

There are political refugees and there are refugees from natural disasters.

But i find it pointless to discuss this, it is like we are discussing why we call chauvinists, rednecks literally a redneck is someone with red neck!