In Cyprus, all relevant services should work together more effectively to address the phenomenon of seasonal workers quitting their jobs in order to apply for asylum. Yiannakis Gavriel said This is the third time since he has chaired the commission that problems faced by growers are being discussed when it comes to finding seasonal workers, while the four ministries involved in the process offer no input or suggestions on how to solve the problem.
“The problem is that foreign workers, who come to Cyprus on seasonal contracts to work on cultivation farms, quit their jobs in order to subsequently apply for asylum and work illegally,” he said. Gavriel added that the commission has “made four clear recommendations, but it looks like the four ministries involved cannot work together to find a solution”.
The suggestions include speeding up asylum applications, increasing penalties for those who employ illegal workers, and more police checks.
