Incentives given by the government to those who wanted to resettle in the Maronite village of Kormakitis in the breakaway north have raised the number there to 310.
The permanent ‘enclaved’ residents of the village – up until a couple of years – ago was just 51.
In 2019, Cabinet approved the scheme for couples up to 45 years old to resettle in the enclaved villages of Rizokarpaso, Ayia Triada and Maronite Kormakitis and Karpasha.
The scheme provides €15,000 to families with children up to 18 years old and €10,000 to couples with no children.
An additional €2,000 is given to purchase household goods, while another €3,000 could be given for occupation purposes.
At the same time, some people who do not live permanently in Kormakitis try to benefit from the resettlement scheme even though they are not entitled to it.
And some do succeed in getting the assistance even though they ‘cheat’ on their residence status, the House Committee on Refugees heard on Tuesday.
Kormakitis has been open to its original residents to resettle since 2003.
Cyprus is divided since a 1974 invasion by Turkey which still occupies the northern part of the EU-member island.
