The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, TRNC Assembly approves draft law on Residency

The draft law on the permanent residence permit for residents in TRNC was approved on Monday November 2nd 2015 with a simple majority by the TRNC Assembly.

According to the law, foreigners, who have worked for six years in the TRNC, having acquired a work permit and/or permit for setting up a business, will be given a permanent residence permit, so that they will no longer be obliged to apply for a new permit every year.

Furthermore, foreigners who have been resident in the TRNC for six years will be given other rights that will facilitate their lives.

Serdar Denktas, leader of the Democratic Party (DP), said that they would vote against the draft law, because they believe that it would not achieve its goals. He expressed the view that everyone living in the TRNC should be given a white card and should be granted all rights except for “voting and being elected”. He said that people who live in the TRNC for 20-25 years and persons who have been born there, will not be able to benefit from this law.

Zeki Celer, deputy of the Social Democracy Party (TDP), said that his party would vote in favour of the law, adding that there were some drawbacks as regards “fake marriages” and that a more detailed statement should be submitted on this issue.

Credit: Kibris Gazetesi