Man lived illegally in TRNC for nearly five years: deportation procedure initiated

In Nicosia, David Dingamadji appeared before the court, who, according to police data, had been illegally staying in the territory of the TRNC for nearly five years — a total of 1,817 days. The court ordered him to remain in custody for another four days while the deportation procedure continues.

As police officer Serhan Yıldıran stated in court, the violation was detected on the evening of May 15, 2026, during an immigration status check. After establishing the fact of his prolonged illegal stay, the man was arrested and brought to court.

The prosecution believes that if released, the suspect could continue his illegal stay in the country, and therefore requested an extension of his detention.

Judge Şevket Gazi granted the police request and ordered the arrest to be extended for another four days.

The case has once again raised questions about the operation of migration control in the TRNC. According to experts, such a long illegal stay is made possible due to a combination of several factors: limited capacities for checking migration status, the lack of a unified digital system for tracking entry and exit, undeclared employment, as well as coordination difficulties between various agencies.

In addition, migration status checks are often conducted on a targeted basis — when contacting government institutions, during employer inspections, or as part of police operations. If a person avoids official contacts and works informally, they can remain out of the authorities' sight for a long time.