Working conditions in Cyprus

last update: December 2016

After 6 months asylum seekers do have the right to work and the duty to register as seeking for a job in order to continue receiving social benefits at the District Labour Office. Work options are limited to certain areas for asylum seekers such as agriculture, recycling, waste disposal, cleaning, food delivery etc. A lot of people told that the labour office places jobs which do not exist: In companies which are already closed, jobs which are already given away etc. If the employer does not sign that this job is not available you are “voluntarily jobless” and don’t get social benefit anymore.

A lot of jobs, especially in agriculture, take place under bad conditions such as long working times (12 hours per day on 6 days a week), low paying (400-500 Euros per month), absence of payments, poor accommodation, and cases of violent employers. Due to the financial crisis it is difficult to find irregular jobs.