We have repeatedly written in the Greek press that the concentration of illegal foreign workers in places in the city center is a dangerous development. Our articles of 3 years and more recent pointed out this worrisome situation with special reference to the area of Pafos, where ex-Pontiacs (Russian Greeks) are concentrated, for the city of Larnaca in the locality of the church of San Lazaro (where they are concentrated most Syrians, Iranians) and Nicosia in the old city, where the center of Pakistanis and others is located.
It seems that the foreign workers who are here illegally (some politicians say that the illegal immigrants issue, it is Turkey’s policy to cause trouble for the Cyprus government as 70% of these immigrants come from Turkey and the occupied areas) they do not want to make an effort to adapt to the local culture. The mayor of Nicosia has taken steps to evict these people from the dilapidated buildings of the old city and, of course, they have moved to the more modern residential areas, occupying a single apartment in numbers of between 5 and 10 people. Therefore, the apartment building in such cases is automatically damaged in value, as well as, in proportion, entire neighborhoods. The tenants, being illegal, behave well and pay the rent. Sometimes the rent charged is 50% more than the market price, hence the problem (the locals are greedy have a lot to blame, but then where are the foreign workers, be it illegal, are they going to stay?).
A difficult situation in all aspects, since these illegal immigrants do not receive a handout from the Government and resort to crime (60% of the inmates are foreigners), drag trafficking, prostitution, etc. As if all this were not enough, our Minister of the Interior, who is well known for his support for the protection of human rights, gave them some support (see his instructions to the police not to embark on raids, etc.) which he does make the situation worse. The recent problems of the city of Larnaca are the tip of the iceberg (they have asked that the bells of the church of San Lazaro not be used because it disturbs their sleep and this of a church that is the pride of Larnaca and one of the most ancient / historical in Cyprus).
The situation is not going to go away unless it is addressed. Illegal immigrants’ new approach to declaring themselves political refugees (with the help of local smugglers and lawyers) is an additional problem, as this class of illegal immigrants destroys / hides their papers so that they cannot be returned. These political refugees receive a monthly aid of approximately € 500 / person.
All of that was fine before the 2009 recession, but now that the local population is out of work and with local social security payments running out, there is a hostile sentiment as to why the Cyprus government should pay more than 5 million euros. euros. pa for immigrants, an amount that should be allocated to their unemployment benefits by increasing their benefits (with 7% unemployed and rising, the situation could get even worse). This state of affairs will inevitably affect the real estate market in those localities where there is such concentration. The town of Protaras is an example of where the Roma “reside” (in the Kapparis area), despite the objection of locals and holiday home owners in Nicosia. Of course, the situation is not unique to Cyprus, but it does affect property values.
So when buying a property, be careful and in your considerations take into account the above in terms of migrant population (we understand that the Paphos Police stay away from the Pontiac area in K. Pafos !! – where the apartments have a value of 1 / 3rd of the price at its best in relation to the apartments not affected, so do not get carried away by the low prices and also check this parameter.
The situation is a worldwide problem with Hispanics in the United States, Arabs and Africans in France, Roma in Italy, and all kinds of immigrants in the United Kingdom Denmark and Germany have a similar problem with Turkish immigrants, etc.
As an indication, we have registered the following price reduction derived from this cause:
Pafos – 30% less
Larnaca – 15% less
Paralimni – 15% -20%
Nicosia – 25%
Limassol: no clear reduction indicated
What a mess our dear readers. The problem of property titles, mortgages, the recession in the real estate industry and others, now we have to worry about this situation as well.
