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brother
Warnings : 3
Site Admin
Joined: 15 Aug 2005
Posts: 8920
Location: London/Cyprus
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Refugee angered over government’s refusal to issue him a medical card
BEING BORN in Cyprus into a Greek Cypriot family, Andreas Gregory always considered himself a citizen of the Republic. But he has recently come to realise that his homeland does not recognise him as one of its own.
Gregory was born in Ayios Sergios, Famagusta in 1948. He spent a number of years in both Cyprus and England, but his heart always belonged to Cyprus. Until recently, he thought his nationality did too.
Returning to Cyprus for good with his wife Marina in 1998, however, Gregory came to realise that the Republic now considers him an alien. The realisation hit him hard recently while he was trying to attain a medical card; something the state refuses to give him.
With an estimated 350,000 Greek Cypriots living in the UK alone, this is an issue expected to take grand dimensions.
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“I have a home here and my own money. I’m a good, honest citizen. But they don’t want me here. I wasn’t in exile all the years I was in England, I was working hard”,
“I feel angry at my country, my place of birth, my democracy. We fought so many years for our democracy and now it is turning its back on me.”
“I am infuriated. I feel very, very upset with the Cypriot Republic. Seeing that the Cypriot Republic will not recognise me then I will turn to the European Union. I will go as far as the European Council and tell them my story. If the EU tells me that I am not Cypriot then I will accept it.”
When the matter was published in yesterday’s Greek language daily Politis the story reached the UK through the internet. It has caused uproar, said Gregory.
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Full article here
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=24501
Whatever next, this chap is a cypriot but he is not accepted, well brother come to the north we will accept you back home. |
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cypezokyli
Ministerial
Joined: 20 Dec 2005
Posts: 2344
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| i had a friend, who was born in england. he doesnot vote bc his father has to make a satement that he is cypriot or sth similar...but he was called to serve in the army. so he did his duty, but he doesnot enjoy what he is allowed |
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brother
Warnings : 3
Site Admin
Joined: 15 Aug 2005
Posts: 8920
Location: London/Cyprus
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| cypezokyli wrote: |
| i had a friend, who was born in england. he doesnot vote bc his father has to make a satement that he is cypriot or sth similar...but he was called to serve in the army. so he did his duty, but he doesnot enjoy what he is allowed |
I find that deeply disturbing full of double standards. |
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cypezokyli
Ministerial
Joined: 20 Dec 2005
Posts: 2344
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it is double standards bro
i mean he just has to go and do some beaurocratic work a couple of hours long....but his either bored or refuses as a matter of principle. |
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brother
Warnings : 3
Site Admin
Joined: 15 Aug 2005
Posts: 8920
Location: London/Cyprus
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| cypezokyli wrote: |
it is double standards bro
i mean he just has to go and do some beaurocratic work a couple of hours long....but his either bored or refuses as a matter of principle. |
He already has done that and they still refused him, read the FULL article again.  |
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cypezokyli
Ministerial
Joined: 20 Dec 2005
Posts: 2344
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i was talking about my friend  |
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brother
Warnings : 3
Site Admin
Joined: 15 Aug 2005
Posts: 8920
Location: London/Cyprus
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| cypezokyli wrote: |
| i was talking about my friend |
Sorry |
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repulsewarrior
Deputy
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 1767
Location: Canada
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CUBA
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: A federal judge in Miami has ruled the US should not have deported 15 Cuban migrants who in January reached a disused bridge in the Florida Keys. But Judge Federico Moreno said his ruling would not affect the "wet-foot, dry-foot" policy under which Cubans stopped at sea are usually sent back. The group was deported because the bridge no longer connected to land. They now hope to leave Cuba legally but it is unclear whether the communist government will allow them to go. "I am so happy, I haven't eaten or slept since yesterday," one of them, Ernesto Hernandez, told The Associated Press. "It's a big surprise." He and 14 other men, women and children are completing applications for Cuban passports and have scheduled a meeting for Monday at the US Interests Section in Havana. No comment was immediately available from the Cuban authorities which have criticised the "wet-foot, dry-foot" policy in the past. The US Coast Guard had argued that the broken bridge did not count as!
US soil and therefore the Cubans could not seek residency. |
(BBC News)
Another example of the absurd. |
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brother
Warnings : 3
Site Admin
Joined: 15 Aug 2005
Posts: 8920
Location: London/Cyprus
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| repulsewarrior wrote: |
CUBA
| Quote: |
: A federal judge in Miami has ruled the US should not have deported 15 Cuban migrants who in January reached a disused bridge in the Florida Keys. But Judge Federico Moreno said his ruling would not affect the "wet-foot, dry-foot" policy under which Cubans stopped at sea are usually sent back. The group was deported because the bridge no longer connected to land. They now hope to leave Cuba legally but it is unclear whether the communist government will allow them to go. "I am so happy, I haven't eaten or slept since yesterday," one of them, Ernesto Hernandez, told The Associated Press. "It's a big surprise." He and 14 other men, women and children are completing applications for Cuban passports and have scheduled a meeting for Monday at the US Interests Section in Havana. No comment was immediately available from the Cuban authorities which have criticised the "wet-foot, dry-foot" policy in the past. The US Coast Guard had argued that the broken bridge did not count as!
US soil and therefore the Cubans could not seek residency. |
(BBC News)
Another example of the absurd. |
Agreed. |
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givepeaceachance
Villager
Joined: 03 Mar 2006
Posts: 70
Location: Larnaca
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I have had a similiar problem.
Except with me its a little different. My mother is Cypriot my father is English and i was born and raised in Cyprus in the cyprus way of life. i am proud of my country and my people, however because i have British nationality and my cypriot id card states my nationality is british, i have had major problems since coming back from the uk from my studies.
I am only 23 and have so far been told i cannot have a phoneline installed in my house by CYTA as my id says i am british therefore i am classed as a 'foreigner' and so have to pay them a deposit of 100cyp, DESPITE the fact i work and pay taxes here and all my credentials indicate to permanent citizenship. I have been told that i misunderstood a transaction by the bank on the phone because i was foreign i may have Not understood them well.
PLEASE. Every time including cyta they send me to immigration to get verification of my citizenship, and of course they have no record of me because i am not an 'alien'so my saga is an everlasting never ending circle....
I wonder when things will change in my home country i cant see it happening any time soon..its a shame this kind of thing may drive repatriated cypriots with uk or other citizenship from returning or at least prohibit a natural migration back to their himeland.... |
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Kifeas
Warnings : 6
Ministerial
Joined: 26 Aug 2005
Posts: 2733
Location: Location: Pafos-Cyprus, since 1974 ethnic cleansing. Originally, Lapithos, northern occupied Cyprus.
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| givepeaceachance wrote: |
I have had a similiar problem.
Except with me its a little different. My mother is Cypriot my father is English and i was born and raised in Cyprus in the cyprus way of life. i am proud of my country and my people, however because i have British nationality and my cypriot id card states my nationality is british, i have had major problems since coming back from the uk from my studies.
I am only 23 and have so far been told i cannot have a phoneline installed in my house by CYTA as my id says i am british therefore i am classed as a 'foreigner' and so have to pay them a deposit of 100cyp, DESPITE the fact i work and pay taxes here and all my credentials indicate to permanent citizenship. I have been told that i misunderstood a transaction by the bank on the phone because i was foreign i may have Not understood them well.
PLEASE. Every time including cyta they send me to immigration to get verification of my citizenship, and of course they have no record of me because i am not an 'alien'so my saga is an everlasting never ending circle....
I wonder when things will change in my home country i cant see it happening any time soon..its a shame this kind of thing may drive repatriated cypriots with uk or other citizenship from returning or at least prohibit a natural migration back to their himeland.... |
And what stopped you to apply for a Cypriot citizenship all these years so that you get over all these difficulties which you say you are confronted with? |
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brother
Warnings : 3
Site Admin
Joined: 15 Aug 2005
Posts: 8920
Location: London/Cyprus
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| givepeaceachance wrote: |
I have had a similiar problem.
Except with me its a little different. My mother is Cypriot my father is English and i was born and raised in Cyprus in the cyprus way of life. i am proud of my country and my people, however because i have British nationality and my cypriot id card states my nationality is british, i have had major problems since coming back from the uk from my studies.
I am only 23 and have so far been told i cannot have a phoneline installed in my house by CYTA as my id says i am british therefore i am classed as a 'foreigner' and so have to pay them a deposit of 100cyp, DESPITE the fact i work and pay taxes here and all my credentials indicate to permanent citizenship. I have been told that i misunderstood a transaction by the bank on the phone because i was foreign i may have Not understood them well.
PLEASE. Every time including cyta they send me to immigration to get verification of my citizenship, and of course they have no record of me because i am not an 'alien'so my saga is an everlasting never ending circle....
I wonder when things will change in my home country i cant see it happening any time soon..its a shame this kind of thing may drive repatriated cypriots with uk or other citizenship from returning or at least prohibit a natural migration back to their himeland.... |
I am sorry to hear that and find it unacceptable that you suffer this despite all the obvious indications of your origin.  |
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givepeaceachance
Villager
Joined: 03 Mar 2006
Posts: 70
Location: Larnaca
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| Kifeas wrote: |
| givepeaceachance wrote: |
I have had a similiar problem.
Except with me its a little different. My mother is Cypriot my father is English and i was born and raised in Cyprus in the cyprus way of life. i am proud of my country and my people, however because i have British nationality and my cypriot id card states my nationality is british, i have had major problems since coming back from the uk from my studies.
I am only 23 and have so far been told i cannot have a phoneline installed in my house by CYTA as my id says i am british therefore i am classed as a 'foreigner' and so have to pay them a deposit of 100cyp, DESPITE the fact i work and pay taxes here and all my credentials indicate to permanent citizenship. I have been told that i misunderstood a transaction by the bank on the phone because i was foreign i may have Not understood them well.
PLEASE. Every time including cyta they send me to immigration to get verification of my citizenship, and of course they have no record of me because i am not an 'alien'so my saga is an everlasting never ending circle....
I wonder when things will change in my home country i cant see it happening any time soon..its a shame this kind of thing may drive repatriated cypriots with uk or other citizenship from returning or at least prohibit a natural migration back to their himeland.... |
And what stopped you to apply for a Cypriot citizenship all these years so that you get over all these difficulties which you say you are confronted with? |
I will tell you Kifeas.
I hold a British passport. With the British passport i can travel anywhere i want in the world with minimal fuss.
If i was to get the Cypriot citizenship, i would be able to retain my passport, but take dual nationality, something i am hesitant to do, as i have and am continuing to travel quite often around various parts of the world.
My status would change, meaning that i would now fall under a completely different category of visitor to many countries therefore meaning visa requirements etc etc..
Its more of a personal choice really at least until i finish my travels.
Besides, another problem or question is why my country of birth or origin requires me to carry out such an act in order to be considered Cypriot. Everything form my birth certificate right up to my driving licence says i was born and bred in Cyprus, my health records EVERYTHING. And yet am still considered foreign in some aspects, (not all). I even OFFERED to do the army, and they refused me, saying that due to cyprus accession to the EU, i was not required to do it.
So if someone can explain how on one hand am being told that its ok, you have citizenship in our country, and the next'no you are British and you have to pay us 100CYP to come and put you a phone line in' works i would love to know.
Any ideas Kifeas or anyone else?   |
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repulsewarrior
Deputy
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 1767
Location: Canada
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| State vs. Origin, question of cost, potential for the growth in similar demands. Cold hard bureaucracy, doing their job, the best they can, saving money, or at least controlling what more will be spent. |
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