28 foreign nationals arrested in mass raid for living and working north Cyprus illegally

A large-scale police operation targeting illegal immigration has resulted in the arrest of 28 foreign nationals residing in the country without valid permits. 

The suspects, who had been living illegally for periods ranging from 43 days to nearly six years (2,101 days), were brought before the court on Sunday August 31

The coordinated operation, carried out on August 30, 2025, involved police teams from Lefkoşa, Demirhan, Gönyeli, and Güzelyurt. Those arrested were of various nationalities, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Mali, Congo, Kenya, and Liberia.

In Demirhan, eight individuals were apprehended, among them: AS (Bangladesh) has been residing illegally in north Cyprus for— 736 days, CN (Nigeria) — 640 days, MA, (Pakistan, 24) — 582 days, MA (Pakistan, 21) — 346 days, BİE (Liberia) — 274 days, ZZ (Pakistan) — 144 days, AU (Bangladesh) — 61 days, and NS (Pakistan) — 43 days.

In Lefkoşa and Gönyeli, the situation was even more striking, with several individuals found to have resided illegally for years. These included: TCV (Zimbabwe) — 2,073 days (approx. 5.5 years), DR (Congo) — 1,735 days (approx. 4.7 years), JFA (Nigeria) — 1,005 days (approx. 2.7 years).

Additional suspects included AJA, MAD, NMH, and DB.

In Güzelyurt, police detained one JGDB (Nigeria), who set the record with 2,101 days (almost 5 years and 9 months) of illegal residence. Others included: LDA (Nigeria) — 1,340 days, MSK (Pakistan) — 1,307 days, AS (Mali) — 965 days, VEN (Congo) — 617 days, and RROO (Kenya) — 274 days.

The police testified in court that some of the detainees had also been working illegally. They confirmed that correspondence with the Ministry of Interior has begun, and investigations will extend to identifying individuals and businesses employing undocumented workers, who will face legal action.

After reviewing the evidence, the judge ordered all 28 suspects to remain in police custody for three days to allow further investigation. 

The court emphasized that authorities will also examine whether the detainees were involved in any other criminal activities during their time in the country.

The operation highlights the scale of the illegal immigration challenge in the country, with some individuals managing to remain undetected for several years.