Almost 5,000 individual were denied entry into' north Cyprus this year, over 3000 received citizenship: Minister of Interior

More than, 4,000 individuals were denied entry into northern Cyprus in the last one year, while 1,680 people were deported, the Minister of Interior Dursun Oğuz told parliament on Friday.

Addressing efforts to combat illegal residency, Oğuz recalled the establishment of the Migration Authority, noting that district governorships assigned under this framework conduct inspections at regular intervals. As a result of these inspections, 47 undocumented individuals were identified over the past three months.

Citizenship Figures

Oğuz reported that 3,495 people were granted citizenship in of northern Cyprus in the last three years, 684 of whom acquired citizenship through marriage. He explained that 627 individuals became citizens with Interior Ministry approval, 681 through Cabinet decisions, while the remaining recipients were spouses and children of those individuals.

Border Controls and Entry Denials

Responding to criticism that border controls are insufficient, Oğuz emphasized that immigration units actively prevent unauthorized entry. He noted that as of 10 December, 4,944 individuals had been denied entry into the country following immigration checks.

Of those denied entry: 724 were Pakistani nationals, 713 Iranian, 485 Iraqi, 421 Turkish, 318 Somali, 273 Turkmenistan national, and 2,010 were of other nationalities.

Oğuz confirmed that 1,680 individuals were deported during the same period.