“Go back to your country”: Driving examiner allegedly refused Pakistani man licence for not being Cypriot

A Pakistani man living in Cyprus (south) claims a driving examiner told him, “Go back to your homeland, I’ll never give you anything,” after denying him a licence on the grounds that he was not Cypriot. 

Yet the Road Transport Department ignored the ombudsperson’s repeated requests for information about the complaint for five years.

According to the ombudsperson’s report, the department replied only after being warned that too much time had passed for a proper inquiry—an omission that, in the ombudsperson’s view, heightens concerns that the allegations may indeed be credible.

The complaint, submitted on 19 September 2020, states that during the theory portion of the driving test the examiner asked the candidate, in front of others, where he was from. When he answered Pakistan, the examiner allegedly commented that he does not issue licences to non-Cypriots and questioned why the man was even taking the test.

Although the candidate reportedly answered all questions correctly, the examiner told him he had failed and did not allow him to proceed to the road test. He further advised the man that if he attempted to retake the exam, he should first ensure that a different examiner would oversee it, otherwise the result would be unchanged.

When the man later sought clarification, the examiner allegedly told him: “Leave my office and my country. Go back to your homeland. I’ll never give you anything.”

The ombudsperson first contacted the Road Transport Department on 22 October 2020 requesting comments. Over the following years, eight reminder letters—most recently on 17 September 2024—received no reply. On 28 January 2025, the ombudsperson warned the department of her intention to summon the director or another representative.

The department also failed to respond to that notice. On 14 May 2025, Ombudsperson Maria Stylianou-Lottides issued a formal summons requiring the director or a representative to attend her office.

Only after roughly five years and 11 letters did the department finally provide a response, on 30 May 2025. It claimed that too much time had elapsed to conduct a meaningful investigation. It nevertheless added that the examiner involved was among the department’s most experienced, and that his pass–fail statistics showed no signs of discrimination against any candidates, Cypriot or foreign, but rather consistency and adherence to regulations.

The ombudsperson’s report concludes that the department itself is responsible for the inability to investigate, having ignored repeated requests over several years. Its failure to cooperate constitutes a breach of legal obligations and shows disrespect for both the ombudsperson’s institution and the citizens who rely on it for oversight of administrative decisions.

Although the ombudsperson could not verify the allegations, the department’s prolonged silence and its failure to clearly refute claims of racist conduct leave serious doubts about the examiner’s behaviour. The report notes that citing the examiner’s “experience” does not adequately counter the complaint.

Lottides stressed that the department should have demonstrated far greater diligence and transparency—both to uphold public trust and to ensure that any possible instances of discriminatory or racist conduct are properly and impartially examined.

She has submitted her findings to the transport minister and the director of the Road Transport Department, recommending that the department reinforce internal procedures for handling complaints so that all citizens are treated with fairness, transparency, and equal respect.