This is the first installation of a three-part study, carried out by Project Phoenix, that seeks to analyse how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected refugees, migrants and asylum seekers in Cyprus.

The report provides an overview-based timeline of relevant events and government actions, as well as a brief explanation of their impact.

According to the report, since March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began, refugees, migrants and asylum seekers in Cyprus have had limited access to official information on the spread of the virus and associated health information and advice and, as a result, have suffered disproportionately during the lockdown period which severely restricted their movement.

Key findings of the report include:

• To date, the pandemic has had a discernible effect on personal freedoms, livelihoods and economic security, mental health and general wellbeing, as well as personal development, despite the best efforts of civil society organisations to mitigate these effects;
• Many refugees, migrants and asylum seekers remain on the margins of Cypriot society: they are experiencing long delays in migration procedures and claims, with limited access to legal recourse;
• There has been a gendered element within the impact of the pandemic, in that women have been disproportionately affected.

Find further information on this report here.