DISY MP for Famagusta, Giorgos Lysandridis, places particular emphasis on the issues facing the refugee community as well as on matters concerning free Famagusta.
Speaking from the studio of the “Alpha Summer” program, he noted that he hails from the occupied village of Styllos Konteas, was born and raised in Limassol, and currently resides in Larnaca.
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Speaking about his personal connection to the refugee experience, he referred to his experience as a displaced person, noting that the people who were forcibly expelled from their ancestral homes following the Turkish invasion of 1974 were faced with the need to head to the free areas—to towns and villages where they might have known someone—in order to rebuild their lives.
Famagusta MPs Are “National Assembly Members”
He made special mention of the fact that the constituency of Famagusta’s MPs spans the entire island of Cyprus.
“We are essentially national representatives,” he noted, explaining that Famagusta’s MPs are called upon to address a wide range of issues, whether they concern the refugee crisis or the daily lives of citizens in the free district of Famagusta.
As he noted, this is a particularly broad constituency that seeks support and assistance from Famagusta’s MPs in various regions of Cyprus.
Mr. Lysandridis also referred to his three-year term as president of the Pan-Cyprian Refugee Union, which he described as a “great learning experience” for him. As he noted, refugees face many problems, and in the refugee settlements, some of these are even more acute due to the concentration of large numbers of people.
The situation in the refugee settlements
The member of Parliament noted that in recent years, many residents have left the refugee settlements, as the quality of life in many cases is not what it should be. Despite the improvements and incentives provided by both the current and previous Parliaments, significant needs remain.
One of the issues he highlighted is the transfer of housing from parents to their children. As he explained, by the time a child becomes eligible to inherit a specific home, they have often already secured their own housing. As a result, many homes re-enter the rental market and end up being rented, primarily to third-country nationals in lower income brackets.
Housing Maintenance and the Role of Municipalities
When asked how a member of parliament can contribute to improving living conditions and quality of life in refugee settlements, Mr. Lysandridis referred to the role of the Department of Urban Planning, which until recently had jurisdiction over a significant portion of the relevant issues.
With the issuance of title deeds, as he explained, the people living in the settlements have legally secured their property and can now sell or rent it. At the same time, however, the responsibility for maintenance has shifted to the individual owner.
This has created yet another problem, as many of the owners are now elderly and cannot afford to invest or allocate significant sums toward the maintenance of their homes.
At the same time, responsibility was transferred to the municipalities, which, according to Mr. Lysandridis, were not adequately prepared, nor did they have the necessary funds to maintain this large housing stock.
“It’s not a stock; it’s a large volume of housing.”
When asked to comment on whether the existing housing stock could help solve the housing problem, Mr. Lysandridis clarified that the term “stock” may not be the most appropriate, as it refers to a large volume of housing units.
As he noted, these homes are not vacant, and only a very small percentage remains unused. Consequently, this housing stock alone cannot meet housing needs. For this reason, as he noted, it is positive that new housing plans are being developed, but even more interventions are needed.
Approximately 600 undeveloped plots in the settlements
Mr. Lysandridis also referred to the need for greater utilization of land in Chali, noting that pressure in this direction has been exerted both by him and by previous Parliaments.
Through these efforts and investigations, as he noted, approximately 600 unused plots of land were identified within refugee settlements, which could be utilized as part of a broader housing policy.
Participation in Parliamentary Committees
With regard to his parliamentary work, Giorgos Lysandridis serves, among others, on the Committees on Refugees, Internal Affairs, and Human Rights.
His previous experience in local government—having served as director of local government for the Synergismo party—provides, as he noted, an additional asset in his work on issues concerning citizens’ daily lives and the functioning of local government.
