Cypriot Government Admits Problems With Registering Disabled British Residents

As British expats on Cyprus rush to register, the government is struggling to find a way to make the process easier for the disabled UK community, many of whom suffer from restricted movement.

As Brit expats on Cyprus attempt to register with the local authority, the island’s Ministry of the Interior is trying to find ways to make registration easier for the estimated 5,000 disabled Brits living across the island. Some 60,000 British citizens are living, working or retiring in Cyprus, with many now involved in the constant rush to register since Brexit is now a fact rather than an unwelcome option.

According to Loizos Michael, the island’s Ministry of the Interior spokesperson, the government and its UK equivalent are now working together to make sure neither Cypriots living in the UK nor Brits in Cyprus are forced to repatriate due to Brexit, but one sticking point would seem to be how to help disabled UK expats get registered in time. Should negotiations not be straightforward, a bilateral agreement covering a range of issues could put in place.

At present, British expatriates as well as Cypriot nationals in the UK are being encouraged to register for the European Union’s settlement scheme, but another issue may well be the fact that the large number of Brits resident in Cyprus will lose their right to vote in local elections. Should they have been away from the UK for more than 15 years, they will have no political voice at all, having been disenfranchised by the UK.