Woman sentenced to 18 months in prison for using forged work permit to enter Northern Cyprus

Lefkoşa, North Cyprus — The Lefkoşa Assize Court has sentenced a woman to one year and six months in prison for using a forged official document to enter the country.

The defendant, GK was found guilty of “circulating an official forged document” after presenting a fake pre-approval work permit at Ercan Airport on February 7, 2025.

The verdict was delivered by a panel of judges on Thursday May 29.

The judge stated that the defendant was arrested at the airport while attempting to enter the country using a falsified work permit allegedly issued by the Ministry of Labour. She remained in police custody for nine days and was subsequently remanded to prison on February 11 pending trial.

In her defense, the defendant told the court that she was a victim of domestic abuse and the sole provider for her two children, aged 14 and 8. Seeking work to support them, she borrowed money and paid an individual in Northern Cyprus to arrange a legitimate work permit. She claimed she was unaware the permit was forged until after receiving it but proceeded to enter the country and submitted the document to immigration officers, thereby committing the offense.

The court acknowledged that the offense carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and emphasized the gravity of the crime. “This is a serious and severe offense directly committed against the authority of the state and is increasingly common, raising public concern,” the judge said.

The judgment underscored that employment permits are subject to detailed procedures and strict conditions, and any breach undermines public trust in the immigration system. While the nature and seriousness of the crime were treated as aggravating factors, the court also considered several mitigating circumstances.

Among those were the defendant’s lack of a prior criminal record, her early guilty plea, and the fact that her two young children—currently in the care of her elderly parents—would be adversely affected by her incarceration. The court also noted her expression of remorse and cooperation during the investigation.

“Despite the mitigating factors,” the judge concluded, “we are convinced that a custodial sentence is necessary to protect the public interest and uphold the integrity of the state’s immigration procedures.”

The defendant was sentenced to 18 months in prison, with the court noting that her time already served in detention would be taken into account.