A TV documentary has caused worry for a human rights committee in Cyprus. The show talked about serious claims of human trafficking. Young women were reportedly exploited in Ayia Napa. Lawmakers are very concerned. They think the government group fighting these crimes is not working well. Therefore, people are calling for changes. They also want to look at who is responsible for these issues.
The parliamentary committee met to discuss the claims. These claims were shown by a British TV channel. The committee talked about the group that fights human trafficking. This group is led by the Deputy Ministry of Migration. MPs felt uneasy. They said this group was not doing its job properly. Because of this, they are thinking about moving this work. It might move from the Deputy Ministry of Migration to the Ministry of Justice. This could make the fight against trafficking more effective.
The Cyprus Police have started an investigation. They are taking statements. They have asked the TV channel for more information. Also, the cyber crime department is looking into a website. This website showed job offers in Cyprus. They want to see if it is linked to exploitation. The parliamentary discussion also showed confusion. Ministries did not seem clear about their roles in fighting trafficking.
Since 2021, police have won 30 cases. There are 30 more human trafficking cases now. However, people are questioning the effectiveness of the special group. This group met only twice this year. It also met once last year. This makes people ask if it is meeting often enough.
The committee meeting showed how urgent the problem is. The committee chair, Irini Charalambides, was very upset. She said the situation was chaotic. It did not match the information from the Ministry of Interior. She found it hard to describe the situation. A spokesperson from the Migration Deputy Ministry, Xenia Georgiadi, said, "We do nothing on this issue."
The Deputy Minister of Migration, Nicholas Ioannides, will speak to the committee soon. This meeting should explain the ministry's plans. These revelations could lead to big changes. Government groups must protect people. They must also punish those who exploit them. The investigations show a strong effort to deal with these claims. They want to protect Cyprus from human trafficking.