Refugees selling property in north to fund children's studies, MPs told
A parliamentary committee heard on Tuesday that refugees are turning to the Immovable Property Commission in the occupied north to raise money for their children's education.
Refugees are resorting to property sales in the occupied north to cover their children's university costs, according to Nikos Kettiros, who chairs the House refugee committee. He told lawmakers on Tuesday that the Immovable Property Commission (IPC), which the Republic does not recognise as a legitimate compensation body, is being used as a source of cash.
Kettiros described a 75-year-old woman from Famagusta who intended to dispose of her plots so her granddaughter could study, saying she had no other way to raise the funds. He also said a refugee had written to him about the same problem, and the letter was forwarded to the agency for the equal distribution of burdens, which runs the loan scheme.
Officials defended the requirement that each applicant name four creditworthy co-debtors, saying many loans are not being repaid and public money must be protected. The agency's chairman, Akis Pouros, said his organisation had requested five staff and received one, and the committee asked for figures on rejected applications and on how interest-rate subsidies are calculated.
"The woman was crying and told me that she would resort to the so-called compensation committee or others to secure the money," Kettiros said.
What it means for residents
For refugee families, the choice between a child's education and keeping property is becoming a practical one, and the state loan route is where the pressure shows. Anyone applying should plan for the guarantor requirement and for slow processing.
- Guarantors: four creditworthy co-debtors are needed before an application moves, so line them up early.
- Staffing: the agency says it is short-handed, so expect longer waits and keep copies of everything you submit.
- Property decisions: selling through the IPC carries legal and political weight, since the Republic does not treat it as a legitimate compensation body — get independent legal advice first.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
