TRAPPED IN LIMBO: THE HARSH IMMIGRATION REALITY FACING AFRICAN STUDENTS AND WORKERS IN NORTHERN CYPRUS

In recent years, Northern Cyprus has become a growing destination for international students and job seekers, many of whom come from developing countries across Africa and Asia.

While the region offers educational opportunities and employment prospects, the harsh immigration rules and lack of systemic flexibility have pushed many into a state of silent suffering and legal paralysis. The reality is deeply disturbing.

Education in Northern Cyprus is expensive. Beyond tuition fees, students must contend with rising house rents, soaring costs of living, and for those trying to return home, even flight tickets that are often unaffordable, especially for African nationals. But the financial burden is only part of the crisis.

The real nightmare begins when a student loses their student permit due to financial difficulties. For many, it's not a matter of unwillingness, but of inability. Without paying tuition fees, a student cannot renew their residence permit. If this situation persists for more than a year, the permit system portal becomes inaccessible; it simply freezes them out. Even if the student eventually secures the finances and wants to continue their education, the system often gets stuck at 10% or less when trying to renew the current year’s permit. Worse still, the previous years’ missed permits cannot be completed, and there is no option to clear the gap or update the system manually. This effectively traps the student in limbo: unable to move forward, and unable to correct the past.

Where is the government's solution in this? Is there any acknowledgment that these young people might have faced real, genuine financial hardship, but now wish to recover and contribute once more? Or are they to remain criminalized and vulnerable, with the only outcome being deportation if they are unfortunate enough to be arrested?

The same applies to workers in Northern Cyprus.

If there is a gap in their permit history, even due to a situation beyond their control, they are not allowed to work. But what happens when someone gets a job offer or secures employment, yet cannot obtain a legal work permit due to their past gap? Should they be denied the chance to rebuild? What alternatives does the government provide for such cases? None that are publicly accessible or clearly communicated. Instead, the only "solution" appears to be a backbreaking penalty: a daily fine of around 2000 TL per day for overstaying illegally.

For someone who has been without a permit for a year or more, this adds up to hundreds of thousands of lira—an impossible figure for anyone who was too poor to renew a permit in the first place. This system traps people in a vicious cycle of illegality, unemployment, and despair.

And what does that lead to? 

Desperation. Depression. Crime. Not because people are criminals, but because they are left idle. Many of these individuals have previously held valid permits for four, five, even six years. They paid taxes. They studied. They worked. Now, they are treated as outlaws, even when they’ve finally found the means to correct their situation. 

Why isn’t there a structured way to plead their case? Why can’t employers advocate on behalf of workers they genuinely need? Shouldn’t there be a review panel, an amnesty program, a rehabilitation option: something that allows people who were once legal, contributing members of society to rejoin it after hardship?

Without humane immigration policies, we are not just turning people away; we are destroying hope. We are indirectly encouraging more crime, more underground labor, more frustration. Not all undocumented individuals are here by choice. Some are victims of broken systems, both from their home countries and their host nation.

It’s time for the government of Northern Cyprus to hear these voices. We urge the authorities to create realistic, flexible, and humane immigration reforms—particularly for those who lost their status due to financial difficulty but now have the means to continue legally. Whether it’s a structured permit appeal system, a reduced penalty plan, or work based reinstatement routes, something must change. Because ignoring this issue doesn’t make it go away; it only breeds greater injustice in silence. 

Written by Wazafa Ibn Timothy.