Since January 2017, SOS Children’s Village is implementing the“Strengthening Asylum in Cyprus project with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Strengthening Asylum in Cyprus project is aiming ensure that persons arriving in the northern part of Cyprus in search of protection from persecution or violence are protected from refoulement (forceful return to a country where their life or freedom would be threatened) in accordance with the international law. Simultaneously within our project, we make great efforts to assist the refugees and ‘person of concern’s living in north Cyprus integrate into our society socially and economically.

The primary goal of our project’s integration is to support the refugees living in our island to become independent and viable, be able to reach to their fundamental rights, accommodate oneself to the culture of their surroundings and become happy, productive people that continue to live their culture freely.

On this matter, within the Strengthening Asylum in Cyprus team, there is one Cultural Mediator/Translator and one Social Counselor working in cooperation with the target group to prepare annual development plan for each individual and family in the project. Free Turkish Language courses, academic development and education support for children, vocational development plans, development of capacity to find employment and social and cultural activities are the main contents of integration program of our project.

Following the needs analysis done by our expert, there are food and material support provided by SOS Children’s Village as a donation to the families in need. Including approximately 100 registered beneficiaries to our project, the people who are not registered but have an international protection claim are in our project’s target group as well.