In Cyprus the Christian Churches' commitment to the poor and migrants

‘I have come as a pilgrim to a country geographically small, but historically great; to an island that down the centuries has not isolated peoples, but brought them together; to a land whose borders are the sea; to a place that is the eastern of Europe and the western gate of the Middle East. You are an open door, a harbor that unites. Cyprus, as a crossroads of civilisations, has an innate vocation to encounter’.

These are the words with which Pope Francis greeted the Cypriot people at the beginning of his Apostolic Journey to the island in December 2021. Words that sketch well the ‘face’ of Cyprus, a crossroads of peoples and cultures, between East and West, which preserves deep traces of the peoples who have passed through it: from the Phoenicians to the Minoans, the Greeks, the Egyptians and the Persians; and then the Romans, the Byzantines, the Turks.

A handkerchief of land, washed by the waters of the Mediterranean, which is a place of encounter and welcome. The shores of Turkey, Syria and Lebanon are the closest. It is from here, but also from North Africa, that the people of migrants, refugees, those seeking asylum fleeing war and violence, arrive. According to figures released by the Cypriot Ministry of the Interior, the number of asylum applications in relation to the local population is the highest in Europe. As is the number of rejections. Only a few, and often after many years, are granted permission to stay on the island, Europe's easternmost offshoot, and can then move to EU countries. Most migrants remain waiting for years, often without means of subsistence and in conditions of marginalisation that violate their dignity.

In fact, one of the main challenges Cyprus is facing is that of migration, and the Church has always been in the front line in welcoming migrants arriving by sea and in showing Christian closeness to refugees in displaced persons camps.

‘From the humanitarian point of view,’ explains the Archbishop of Cyprus of the Maronites, the Most Rev. Corepiscopo Mgr. Selim Jean Sfeir, ‘the Church of Cyprus actively supports migrants by providing humanitarian aid and actively working to ensure that their basic needs are met. The Church also provides legal assistance to migrants to help them understand their rights, obligations and the asylum application process; encourages more just and humane migration policies at the national and EU levels; and promotes social integration and cultural exchange. Migrants and refugees, arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Nigeria, Cameroon, Afghanistan, Somalia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, bring many benefits to the host country, such as cultural diversity, economic growth and innovation. They bring with them their culture and practices’.

‘However,’ Mgr Sfeir notes, ‘coexistence with the local population is not without its challenges. The fact that many of the migrants and refugees, once their documents are ready, choose to leave Cyprus to move to any other European country,’ he explains, ‘confirms the gap that exists today between the reception phase and the integration phase, on which it would be important to work harder.’ According to the prelate, ‘a review and strengthening of integration and social cohesion methods could also help reduce possible tensions between local communities and refugees’. In addition, ‘more local people should be employed in cultural exchange programmes that can strengthen social cohesion, and it is important to promote the training of frontline migration workers. Agricultural initiatives can also create job opportunities for both refugees and the local population’.

An important contribution in support of migrants is also offered by Caritas Cyprus, which, from the capital Nicosia, promotes multiple initiatives and services. Marco Frassine, who has been in Cyprus for several years, is the Case Work Coordinator: ‘Caritas helps the poor and most vulnerable, asylum seekers and refugees, who do not speak Greek and have no protection network, but also European and Cypriot citizens. Anyone who comes knocking on our door. In 2024 alone we helped around 3,000 families.’

‘With the outbreak of the war in Syria in 2015 and the countless crises in African countries,’ he recounts, ‘the migrant crisis in Cyprus became more acute, because there was no adequate infrastructure or social services on the island to deal with such an emergency. The few existing organisations, such as Caritas, played an important role in responding to the growing needs’.

Even today, although arrivals have decreased, the condition of migrants on the island is sometimes dire and requires action in several directions. ‘One of the greatest difficulties that migrants experience concerns access to information,’ the Caritas worker testifies, ‘many documents and application forms are in Greek, there is digitalisation that is difficult to navigate, and if there is no one there to help in understanding and filling in the documents, one cannot access services or ask for assistance. Then there is housing: migrants receive a small subsidy from the government, about 200 euro, with which they have to secure food, look for housing, pay bills. But the cost of rent is high, especially in the cities. Social services are lacking, even for mothers with children. It is difficult for migrants to find work and a contract’. Caritas helps them by supporting them in their relations with the various institutions, strengthening their skills, such as English, Greek and computer skills, and providing them with humanitarian support.

‘Most of our work is undertaken in the Migrant Centre, where every day we receive so many people from all countries who come to fill out forms and ask for guidance. Here we identify the most vulnerable and people with serious health problems, including many with psychiatric problems. In these cases we engage with the relevant ministries and work informally to ensure assistance and care. Sometimes we take the sick by the arm and bring them to the hospital. And then we provide food, clothes, baby equipment, basic necessities’.

An activity that often takes place in coordination with the parishes on the island: ‘the priests and volunteers contact us and point out people to follow,’ says Marco Frassine, ‘and convey requests for goods and support. The Catholic communities in Cyprus are historic but small. Many parishioners today are newcomers. Therefore, parishes have few resources to support the needs of the poor and marginalised. That said, Caritas works with its parish initiatives and volunteers to respond to those in need of assistance’.

Notwithstanding the difficulties, there are also positive experiences. Stories of integration. ‘The migrants who have been granted asylum and remain on the island are a small minority, those whose children have grown up and studied here. Some manage to find work and start businesses. The story of Justin, from Cameroon, who opened a tailor's shop, is one of the stories of successful integration. Many others can be found on the Caritas Cyprus website’.

Meanwhile, the island prepared for an important event. From 24 to 26 March 2025 it hosted the ‘PeaceMed’ initiative promoted by Caritas Italy with the support of institutions from different countries and the involvement of 16 other national Caritas organisations. The aim was to ‘promote peace as a common good and strengthen Civil Society Organisations in the Mediterranean’. And there will be appointments to follow. Once again Cyprus is preparing itself as a place of encounter, exchange, enrichment. A platform leaning towards development, fraternity, peace.