Parliament’s budget marathon took an incendiary turn on 17 December when the nationalist party ELAM tabled amendments to eliminate every line-item linked to migration management, bicommunal contacts and the opening of new crossing points along the UN buffer zone. The party’s proposals would scrap housing and food allowances for asylum-seekers, cancel the €12 million earmarked for expanding reception facilities at Limnes, and halt scholarships for Turkish-Cypriot pupils at the English School—one of the island’s few integrated educational institutions.
The amendments also target confidence-building measures funded by the EU and UN that underpin free movement between the Greek-Cypriot south and Turkish-Cypriot north. Cutting those funds would freeze preparatory works for two additional crossings agreed during this year’s technical-committee talks. ELAM framed the move as an effort to “defend sovereignty” and redirect resources to Greek-Cypriot citizens, while opposition parties denounced it as discriminatory and economically self-defeating.
![Far-right ELAM tries to strip migration and crossing-point funding from 2026 state budget]()
Although House Speaker Annita Demetriou signalled the amendments lack majority support, their introduction highlights the growing politicisation of mobility issues ahead of May 2026 parliamentary elections. Business chambers quickly warned that undermining orderly migration systems could “compromise Cyprus’ reputation as an international business centre,” noting that 17 percent of the workforce now consists of third-country nationals.
For organisations, investors and travellers who want clarity amid this policy turbulence, VisaHQ offers streamlined online assistance for securing Cyprus visas and residence permits. The platform (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) walks users through documentation requirements, submits applications on their behalf and provides real-time status tracking—helping businesses and individuals stay compliant regardless of shifting political winds.
Even if defeated, the debate forces the government to defend programmes that facilitate labour mobility, cross-community commerce and compliance with EU asylum directives. Mobility managers should track the final budget vote and any late-night compromises that could alter funding for reception infrastructure, language-training grants or digitisation of residence-permit services.
The amendments also target confidence-building measures funded by the EU and UN that underpin free movement between the Greek-Cypriot south and Turkish-Cypriot north. Cutting those funds would freeze preparatory works for two additional crossings agreed during this year’s technical-committee talks. ELAM framed the move as an effort to “defend sovereignty” and redirect resources to Greek-Cypriot citizens, while opposition parties denounced it as discriminatory and economically self-defeating.
Although House Speaker Annita Demetriou signalled the amendments lack majority support, their introduction highlights the growing politicisation of mobility issues ahead of May 2026 parliamentary elections. Business chambers quickly warned that undermining orderly migration systems could “compromise Cyprus’ reputation as an international business centre,” noting that 17 percent of the workforce now consists of third-country nationals.
For organisations, investors and travellers who want clarity amid this policy turbulence, VisaHQ offers streamlined online assistance for securing Cyprus visas and residence permits. The platform (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) walks users through documentation requirements, submits applications on their behalf and provides real-time status tracking—helping businesses and individuals stay compliant regardless of shifting political winds.
Even if defeated, the debate forces the government to defend programmes that facilitate labour mobility, cross-community commerce and compliance with EU asylum directives. Mobility managers should track the final budget vote and any late-night compromises that could alter funding for reception infrastructure, language-training grants or digitisation of residence-permit services.
