The Minister of Interior investigated the payment of a rental allowance for resettled students in the same way as it is paid to stranded students.
An announcement by the Head of Humanitarian Affairs for Missing and Entrapped Persons Anna Aristotelous regarding the granting of a rental allowance to resettled students states that the proposal was recently made by her Office to the Minister of Interior Konstantinos Ioannou, who responded immediately and approved the payment of a rental allowance for resettled students, in the same manner as is paid to trapped students.
“These young people, despite the difficulties and deprivations, choose to study at higher educational institutions in the free areas, refusing to be deprived of the right to university education. This decision once again demonstrates and underlines the government's commitment to supporting these young people in achieving their goals,” notes Ms. Aristotelous.
As he states, the trapped and resettled students who attend educational institutions in the free areas are, in most cases, obliged to reside in the free areas during their studies. He recalled that the occupation regime limits the possibility of their families' employment exclusively in agriculture and livestock farming, which makes the family income particularly low. At the same time, the trapped or resettled allowance alone is not sufficient to cover their needs.
The recent decision of the President of the Republic to extend the student allowance to resettled students is an essential measure to enhance the ability to study, as well as to support their families who live under extremely difficult conditions, he says, adding that as the number of those trapped decreases over time, such measures become even more important.
Our primary goal, she said, “remains the substantial support and creation of incentives for the stay and resettlement in our occupied villages”. By maintaining the presence of the trapped and resettled, said Ms. Aristotelous, “our cultural identity and the historical continuity of our place are preserved. With the care and support of these people, we keep hope alive and strengthen the connection with our land” and assured that we will “continue to work consistently and responsibly and contribute in every way towards this direction so that the goal becomes a reality”.
