The ministerial decree issued last October by the Minister of Labour concerning the employment of asylum seekers is creating a labour shortage in an already burdened hospitality sector.
This assertion is made in a letter addressed to the Minister of Labour Yiannis Panayiotou, by Christos Christodoulou, the President of the Cyprus Association of Recognized Chain Hospitality Businesses, and Marios Antoniou, the General Secretary of the Cyprus Retail Trade Association.
According to that decree, asylum seekers will only have access to the job market nine months after submitting their application for international protection.
Until the end of September 2023, this right was applicable for asylum seekers one month after submitting their application.
According to the two associations, “the situation is further deteriorating, and it is anticipated that the number of employees, as well as candidates for employment, will significantly shrink.”
The two associations call on the Minister of Labour to address these issues as soon as possible, “to avoid the complete paralysis of the two aforementioned sectors.”
