Applications for Citizenship of Children from Mixed Marriages Stalled in Cyprus

Children born in Cyprus to one Cypriot parent and one parent from a third country face significant challenges in obtaining Cypriot citizenship. The Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives has raised the issue with the Ministry of the Interior.

According to Giorgos Koukumas, an AKEL MP and chair of the committee, the law grants citizenship to children with at least one Cypriot parent. However, complications arise when the other parent is an undocumented immigrant.

In such cases, citizenship is not automatically granted but requires approval from the Council of Ministers, which applies specific criteria revised in 2024.

Over the last decade, only 80 applications of this kind have been submitted. The process is often delayed due to additional criteria imposed on Turkish Cypriots married to Turkish nationals.

Lawmakers stressed that leaving children stateless is unacceptable, as it directly impacts their access to essential services such as healthcare, social welfare, and education.

Currently, 30 complaints have been filed regarding children born and raised in Cyprus to one Greek Cypriot parent and one parent from a third country.

Most complaints involve cases where the Cypriot parent is married to or co-parenting with someone seeking international protection, asylum, or who is undocumented with expired residency permits. Some complaints concern children being raised by a single Cypriot parent.

Children who entered Cyprus illegally with their parents also remain ineligible for citizenship, even if they have lived their entire lives on the island.

A representative from the Ministry of the Interior clarified that all children with a Cypriot parent are entitled to citizenship under the law unless the other parent resides in Cyprus illegally.

The criteria for granting citizenship were first established in 2007 and revised in 2024, primarily focusing on Turkish settlers.

According to Cyprus Mail, since the opening of crossing points in 2003, 500 applications for citizenship have been approved. Since 2024, 96 applications have been submitted to the Council of Ministers, most of which involve Turkish Cypriots.

Additionally, 760 applications from Turkish Cypriots who meet the criteria and 2,885 from those who do not are still awaiting review.