Approximately 3,500 children with one Cypriot parent remain in citizenship limbo due to legislative gaps, according to a comprehensive report by Cyprus Children’s Commissioner Despo Michaelidou.
The commissioner’s investigation focuses on cases where children born to one Cypriot parent and one parent with illegal entry or residence status are excluded from automatic citizenship recognition, leaving many effectively stateless.
“The situation creates serious restrictions for these children regarding their access to basic public services such as healthcare, social security, and social benefits,” Michaelidou stated in her report, highlighting both humanitarian and legal concerns.
According to correspondence from the Interior Ministry dated January 31, 2024, of the pending 3,500 applications, 774 meet the Cabinet’s established criteria while 2,928 do not. Officials note this figure represents only children who have formally applied, suggesting the actual number of affected children could be substantially higher.
The commissioner emphasised that citizenship decisions should prioritise children’s best interests and their family and socio-political ties, regardless of parental status. Children in these circumstances face numerous practical difficulties, including inability to obtain travel documents or participate in educational and social activities.
Upon turning 18, these children often find themselves in legal uncertainty, sometimes without even residency permits despite having grown up entirely in Cyprus with one Cypriot parent.
Background Context:
- Since 2007, when the current criteria were implemented, only 1,923 applications have been approved through 36 Cabinet submissions
- Approximately 100 applications are approved annually, meaning some children may wait up to seven more years despite meeting criteria
Child’s citizenship application remains pending after 16 years
A striking case highlighted in the report reveals a child who has waited 16 years for citizenship determination. The commissioner’s report details how this application, submitted in 2008, remains unresolved despite the child having lived in Cyprus since three months of age and completed their entire education within the Cypriot school system.
This student now faces critical uncertainty regarding higher education opportunities as their residency permit will expire upon graduation next academic year, the report notes.
Current legislative frameworks create what observers describe as a procedural paradox: children cannot apply for naturalisation before adulthood based on continuous legal residence, yet upon turning 18, they may lose their residency status entirely—despite having a Cypriot parent.
Commissioner’s recommendations
The commissioner has recommended legislative amendments to allow minors to submit naturalisation applications through their parents—a change that would address one of the fundamental procedural barriers identified in the investigation.
The commissioner also recommends immediate delegation of Cabinet authority to senior Interior Ministry officials to process the approximately 700 qualifying pending applications within two months. She also proposes legislative changes allowing children to submit naturalisation applications through their parents before reaching adulthood.
Additionally, the report identifies administrative issues, including refusal to accept applications, particularly from Turkish Cypriot parents with children by Turkish national spouses, and placing rejected applications in indefinite “waiting lists” rather than issuing formal rejections that could be appealed.
Michaelidou recommends expanding eligibility criteria to include children of refugees or those with supplementary protection, children whose formerly illegal parent now has legal status, single-parent families, and children of mixed Turkish Cypriot and Turkish national marriages.
“While understanding that granting Cypriot nationality to children with one Turkish national parent raises political sensitivities that might be interpreted as accepting the consequences of the invasion, this issue requires sensitive handling that considers both human rights and violations resulting from the Turkish invasion,” the commissioner concluded. (incyprus)
