Greek-Cypriot Refugees’ Welfare a Third of a Century Following their Expatriation: Implications for Local and International Policy

Abstract

To this day, very little research concerned itself with the social welfare needs of Greek Cypriot refugees. To advance empirical knowledge in this domain 120 randomly selected Greek-Cypriot refugees were surveyed (a response rate of .91) using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methodology. Results suggest that elder refugees are highly neglected by government; children of refugees are also significantly underserved; and there are serious equity concerns in the allocation of assistance. Respondents report mediocre satisfaction with personal finances, struggles with medical care costs, and frustration for not having been issued titles for their public housing in the South. The study also suggests that personal spirituality, church, and local business support are powerful protective factors in the resettlement of refugees, and beyond. Limitations and implications of the study are explored.

KEYWORDS:

• Cyprus
• refugees
• elders
• social service needs
• mental/physical health
• risk and resiliency
• discrimination
• local and international implications
• systemic change

Savvas Georgiades, MSW, PhD, is Associate Professor and Associate Dean, Department of Social Work, College of Arts and Sciences, Frederick University.

The author thanks Dr. Miriam Potocky of Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA, and Dr. Peter Loizos of London School of Economics, London, UK, for providing helpful commentary on previous drafts.