Hunger Strike in Menoyia: Migrants Protest Against Prolonged Detention Without Case Decisions

Six men have declared a hunger strike at the Menoyia Immigration Center in Cyprus, demanding faster processing of their cases and a reduction of excessively long detention periods.

Four detainees began the hunger strike on Tuesday, and two more joined them on Thursday. According to them, they have been waiting too long for the authorities to decide on their immigration status. Their detention periods range from two months to two years.

The detainees claim that legislative procedures are being incorrectly applied to them and that their detention is unjustified. In a written appeal, the group demanded the intervention of the Deputy Minister of Migration. Some participants stated that they have been waiting for a decision for several years.

During the protest, migrants displayed banners with inscriptions: "This is not weakness, this is survival," "My tears speak what I cannot," "My hands ask, they do not threaten."

One of the last men to join the action suffers from a serious illness. In 2022, he underwent lung surgery, after which he experiences severe pain daily. According to him, medical care at the center does not provide adequate treatment.

According to the protesters, around 140 migrants are currently held in Menoyia without a decision on their cases. They claim that their detention is "unjustified" and state that they are even willing to accept a refusal of residence rights and deportation, just to avoid remaining in a state of uncertainty.