Registration of UK nationals living in Cyprus pushes on

As the Brexit clock ticks down, the Civil Registry and Migration Department is continuing efforts to register UK nationals living in Cyprus, while special efforts are being made to accommodate some 5,000 UK nationals with mobility issues.

According to Interior Ministry spokesperson Loizos Michael, an attempt is currently being made to meet the demands put forward by the UK regarding the 60,000 British nationals living on the island, which will be mirrored by the UK government with regards to Cyprus nationals living permanently in the UK. These demands include voting and mobility rights.

Upon formally exiting the European Union at 11pm (GMT) on Friday, when it immediately enters an 11-month transition period. During this time, Michael said, a constant flow of applications by UK nationals living in Cyprus is expected.

The Interior Ministry is also currently searching for ways to accommodate the needs some 5,000 UK nationals living in Cyprus who suffer from mobility limitations.

Michael reiterated the Cyprus preference for a comprehensive Brexit agreement, as expressed by Interior Minister Nicos Nouris in London earlier this month, though stressed that should efforts toward this end fail, Cyprus is fully prepared to cover a broad spectrum of issues through bilateral agreements.

The European Parliament gave its blessing to UK’s Brexit deal on Wednesday, after it was ratified by an overwhelming majority of MEPs, bringing to a close a two-year-long saga of agonising negotiations between the EU and successive UK Prime Ministers.

The Brexit treaty protects the rights of UK citizens abroad and prevents a harsh Irish border, though issues such as voting rights remain to be discussed during the transition period.