Nine illegal residents arrested in north Cyprus including a Nigerian woman and her two-year-old child– Court orders probe into alleged illegal employment

Lefkoşa – September 3, 2025 - North Cyprus police have detained nine foreign nationals found to be residing illegally in the country during inspections carried out nationwide on Wednesday. 

Some of the detainees claimed they had been employed without permits, prompting the court to order an investigation into the workplaces involved.

According to a police statement, those arrested include individuals from Nigeria, Turkmenistan, and Bangladesh. All were charged with “residing in the TRNC without a valid permit” and brought before the Lefkoşa District Court on Thursday Sept. 4.

Among them was PSS, a Nigerian national, and her two-year-old daughter, who were discovered during a routine immigration check at the Lefkoşa Police Directorate. PSS was found to have overstayed for 1,009 days. The court ordered that she and her child remain under police supervision at the Yıldız Student Dormitory until deportation procedures are completed.

In another case, YK, a Turkmen national, voluntarily presented himself to the Lefkoşa Police Directorate, requesting to return to his home country. Checks revealed he had been residing illegally for 430 days.

Meanwhile, police responding to a noise complaint in Gönyeli uncovered six Bangladeshi men living without permits. They were identified as: AM, who had been residing in north Cyprus for – 466 days, MEH, – 424 days, MAAM – 306 days, MMHS – 155 days, MJM – 136 days, MSM – 136 days.

During the hearing, police testified that investigations would continue to determine whether the detainees had committed any other offenses during their stay and to finalize deportation procedures.

Notably, several Bangladeshi suspects told the court that they had been working illegally in various establishments, including Kebap City restaurant, an unnamed fish restaurant in Girne, a citrus factory in Güzelyurt, and a car wash in İskele. They alleged that their employers failed to register them or secure legal work permits.

After reviewing the testimonies, the judge ordered the suspects to remain in police custody for one day to allow investigations to proceed. The judge also instructed police to identify the businesses accused of employing the detainees illegally, launch a parallel inquiry, and submit a detailed report to the court within one month.