On the website of the Latsia Municipality, one can find interesting information about the history of the Municipality.
In brief, the present-day Municipality was once an estate during Ottoman rule, owned by an aga who eventually sold it to the people who worked the land, many of whom came from Lythrodontas. Sixteen Greek Cypriots and one Turkish Cypriot judge (Qadi) purchased Latsia, going there in autumn to cultivate and in spring for the harvest.
Initially, only six people lived there year-round. By the mid-19th century, many owners began to settle permanently on the estate, though the population remained so small that children attended school in neighbouring villages.
After World War II, more and more people chose to reside in Latsia, leading to a population of 1,108 by 1973, concentrated on a relatively small piece of land.
Following the Turkish invasion, three subdivisions were built, and plots were allocated to refugees for self-housing. Today, the population exceeds 17,000, most of whom are refugees, similar to the neighbouring Yeri.
These individuals who found refuge there, or their children born in the settlements and considered refugees by patrilineal or matrilineal descent, now object to the relocation of refugee children to the areas of Latsia-Yeri, echoing sentiments in Zygi, Germasogeia, Paliometocho, and other areas considering hosting unaccompanied minors arriving in Cyprus. The Mayor of Latsia warned that “trouble will arise if the government insists on establishing facilities in the Municipality.”
Disturbances also occurred recently in Dublin. A man attacked passers-by with a knife, injuring five people, including three children. The incident led to such severe unrest that public transportation had to be suspended. The turmoil might not have erupted had it not been for the false information that the assailant was Algerian.
Right-wing extremists, racists, fascists, and hooligans began to vandalise and attack, shouting “Deport them all.” The perpetrator, later identified as an Irish national, was disarmed by a Brazilian refugee working as a delivery person. The police arrested dozens involved in the violence, labelling them as far-right hooligans.
However, the residents of Latsia are not hooligans. Most are refugees, who still have a refugee identity card. With some thought, they might imagine themselves as unwelcome.
