PM promises tougher immigration checks after judge blasts system
STRICTER immigration checks will be carried out on people coming to study in the TRNC, Prime Minister Ünsal Üstel said after a judge blasted the immigration and higher education system.
Judge Murat Soytaç last week slammed higher education institutions and the National Education Ministry after it emerged that a foreign national who was sentenced to 18 months in prison for drugs offences had been allowed to renew her registration at a language school – and therefore remain in the country legally – despite not turning up for lessons.
“Although these foreigners do not renew their school enrolment in time, they can easily legalise their status by re-registering at any school when they need to, gaining the necessary legal status to stay in the TRNC,” Judge Soytaç said during the sentencing of Blessed Oman Albert at Lefkoşa Assize Court.
“As a result of the abuse of our educational institutions by foreigners who are prone to commit crime in order to obtain a legal residency permit, we see from the cases before us that there is an increase in the rate of foreigners who are in our country as ‘students’ engaging in crime.
“At this point, we would like to note that in order to maintain an environment of peace and trust in our country, educational institutions have important responsibilities in terms of doing their due diligence when accepting foreign students.”
Following the judge’s comments, Mr Üstel told Cyprus Today’s sister newspaper Kıbrıs “we have listened to the court’s decision”.
He said that in addition to the rollout of an “e-Visa system”, as previously announced by the government, “we will also determine whether students are still enrolled and we will do what is required. . . for both the peace and security of students, as well as for our people”.
Mr Üstel added that “all of the technical work on the e-Visa Automation System has been completed” and that a 3.85million TL tender to set up the system, plus 385,000TL for a “post-warranty maintenance service”, has been awarded to a company called Galaksity Bilişim Ltd.