''We don't come here just to take'' (video)

“Many afternoons, I look at the opening between the trees and think, I’d like to go there too, but I know I can’t...'' says the 15-year-old from Afghanistan, who has been stuck in the Green Line's no man's land, or Buffer Zone, in Aglantzia for about two months. Dante’s "Purgatory" from "The Divine Comedy" comes to mind, as I wonder: "Who are you, who, against the blind river, managed to escape from the eternal prison?" (Purg. 1.40-41). These twenty-five asylum seekers in Aglantzia, like Dante’s prisoners, have not found an escape from their limbo.

Twenty-five asylum seekers in Aglantzia and another twelve in Akaki are trapped in the Buffer Zone with their future unknown. "K" visited the camp, organized by UNHCR, last Wednesday. Seeing these migrant's living conditions up close fills you with deep concern, highlighting how the Cyprus problem affects every aspect of the state's "normality." Emilia Strovolidou, UNHCR's Communications Officer in Cyprus, said there are 37 asylum seekers in the UN's Buffer Zone, including eight children (four in Aglantzia and four in Akaki), noting that six people have disappeared. The asylum seekers are from Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan, Cameroon, and Iraq.

Regarding the supplies and organization of the camps in Aglantzia and Akaki, Ms. Strovolidou said that UNHCR provides food and bottled water along with the Red Cross, delivering three meals a day. The Republic of Cyprus contributes tinned food and bottled water. Asylum seekers stay in large tents provided by UNHCR, which also includes showers and chemical toilets. Despite these provisions, the living conditions are challenging, with no running water, and the presence of rodents, reptiles, and insects. Ms. Strovolidou emphasizes: "There are people with disabilities and mental health problems. People are losing hope day by day; they feel they are at a dead end. The government of the Republic of Cyprus needs to allow these people access to the asylum procedures and decent living conditions to examine their claims and provide the protection they deserve, while those who do not qualify should be returned to their countries humanely."

Responding to a colleague's question on why these people did not apply for asylum in Turkey, Ms. Strovolidou said they cannot be returned to the occupied part of Cyprus due to the lack of asylum infrastructure there. "They can be returned to their countries through Turkey without any guarantee of access to asylum procedures, which would be dangerous for their lives," she stressed.The makeshift camp set up in the Buffer Zone in Aglantzia housed 25 asylum seekers until July 8. Twelve more are in the Buffer Zone in Akaki.

"We helped democracy in our country."

Mudashir, a 34-year-old from Afghanistan, explains the situation in the camp and how he got trapped in the Buffer Zone. He says everything changed when the Taliban came to power. Having worked for the previous government and the United Nations, things became more difficult: "We were fighting for democracy, human rights, especially for women and gender rights. But when the Taliban took power, they imposed strict rules. Our colleagues and friends disappeared. Many were punished and tortured. We had no choice but to seek asylum." He hopes the government of the Republic of Cyprus will help them. "If you put yourselves in our shoes, you will understand how difficult it is. We haven't done anything wrong. We helped democracy in our country. Our lives were threatened. That's why we came here."

Mudashir left Afghanistan on an educational visa for post-graduate studies in Turkey. "But when we realized we would be sent back to Afghanistan, we had no choice. From Turkey, we found ourselves in the occupied territories and then in the Buffer Zone." Three more young men from Afghanistan join the conversation: Tariq (29), Sabet (33), and Shoaib (25). Tariq says, "We had a better life in Afghanistan. We had better jobs," but everything changed when the Taliban took power. "Nobody wants to leave their country. We can't live there. That's why we are leaving." When asked if they want to stay in Cyprus or go to another country in Europe, Sabet says, "We don't have a destination in mind. We want to be safe, whether in Cyprus or elsewhere." They all agree that their future is uncertain. "We are desperate. We are grateful to UNHCR and the UN. They are helping us. We can't imagine what will happen next."

"For women's civil rights."

A young girl approaches me, visibly frightened. She agrees to talk on the condition that she isn't recorded or photographed. She is 30 years old, from Badakhshan, Afghanistan, and begins to tell her story. "I started school in tents but managed to study. I wanted to help the girls and women of my country. I studied Afghan Literature in Kabul and worked for women's civil rights with NATO." With the Taliban in power, she cannot stay in Afghanistan as everything is forbidden for women. "I never wanted to be a refugee, but it's now so difficult for women in Afghanistan." She explains her family's situation: her father and brothers worked for NATO. She's afraid to return to Afghanistan and finds living in the tents traumatic. "They remind me of my childhood. It's traumatic. As a girl, I've been traumatized by the situation with the Taliban."

"We have a lot to give."

In the camp, I meet Dinga from Cameroon, one of the first to arrive. She left for post-graduate studies in the Occupied Territories when the war started in Cameroon. "My father was killed in the war, so I had to support myself," she says. She paid human traffickers to reach the Buffer Zone. Her family is scattered, her mother is in hiding, and one of her brothers was killed in the war. She pleads with the Cypriot government, the authorities, and citizens to give them a chance. "We don't come here just to take. We have a lot to give. If we were given the opportunity, we could prove our worth. We are willing to give back. We're begging the government to help us get out of this place. I've been here for two months." She describes the conditions: "We live in tents. There are snakes and rats. The bathroom is dirty. I'm a woman trying to stay strong, but the trauma and depression are overwhelming."

"To work for peace."

I notice my filmmaker, Raphael, talking to a teenager. I approach and meet 15-year-old Sameer, who says living in a camp is difficult. He tells me about schools in Afghanistan and the occupied territories, but he stopped attending due to bullying. He is here with his mother and siblings; his father is dead. His older brother Rojd, 19, joins us, holding a book. "It doesn't matter that my country is Afghanistan. Where I have security and can continue my education, that will be my country." Rojd wants to start his education or theatre and work for peace in his country, but not for the Taliban. One of the sisters waves to us as we prepare to leave. I say goodbye, and Sameer tells me, "Not goodbye, but come again..."

[This story was translated  by Shemaine Bushnell Kyriakides]