George Kakouris
"We did it first" seems to be the message the entire government machine wants to promote regarding the fact that, six months after Cyprus decided to temporarily suspend processing asylum applications from Syrians, several other EU member states have adopted the same policy, taking advantage of the opportunities offered by EU legislation.
What I hope the Cypriot government means is that this approach gave the state a chance to process pending applications, reduce the number of abusive new applications from individuals who might not qualify for international or supplementary protection, and indirectly helped lower the incentives for people to seek refuge (either as refugees or for economic reasons) in Cyprus.
However, what was actually heard was something different, referring to a specific and somewhat different attitude. Various member states, which didn’t face the relatively high influxes that Cyprus had to manage during several periods, decided, almost as Assad was packing for his winter getaway, and while no one (not that anyone knows now) knew if Syria was headed toward normalization or something worse, to effectively "cut off" the path for new refugees. And it sounds even more strange and contradictory considering that our government is one of those that highlights concerns about the real intentions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the potential role of Turkey as an influential actor, and the need for the EU to use its aid as leverage to stabilize the neighboring country. On one hand, the comparison between our decision and our partners’ decisions reminds us that we restricted flows when the old regime was still in power, when we were playing with the idea alongside other countries about designating certain areas as safe, while Assad was still sitting in Damascus. On the other hand, the comparison somewhat undermines us, since the temporary restriction can be considered a tool to control a situation that the previous government had allowed to spiral out of control, setting up obstacles instead of infrastructure and procedures for faster processing of applications and returns where needed. And given that, in practice, the discussion about safe returns could only concern voluntary ones, and it was a process that would need time to yield results.
If I had to guess the reasoning behind why the Republic of Cyprus chose this "weird flex," I would speculate that the temptation to highlight a policy of Cyprus that was replicated by other countries was strong, without fully grasping what comparisons it might provoke.
At least I hope so, because Cyprus, which has the experience of displacement in its psycho-political DNA, is not, or should not be, Austria rushing to talk about deportations (check) before Assad even adjusts the heat in his new Moscow apartment, or Italy and Greece being accused of leaving people to drown in the Mediterranean as a warning. Theoretically, Cyprus is the country that, for example, approaches Lebanon as an equal, offers solutions to discourage departures at the source, and brings EU support to the table to prevent a worsening of the situation that would be negative both if viewed altruistically (for the benefit of the Lebanese and the refugees there), and cynically (for the benefit of citizens' satisfaction with the Cypriot government). Yes, words are not enough and must be backed up by actions. But this cliché holds true in reverse: actions gain substance and meaning depending on the words we use, words that put history and self-definition in perspective, showing why we do what we do, and what it means for who we are.
Are we a country that, at the first opportunity, wants to get rid of people who built lives in third countries, just as we did when we left the island during the 1960s civil war and the Turkish invasion, and does not want to encourage others? Or are we a country that can offer opportunities, give space to those who want to rebuild their lives, and remain open to the blending of cultures and our role as a "bridge," a "pillar" that we showcase in museums and speeches?
This opinion was translated from its Greek original.
