Ayia Napa, a renowned Cypriot holiday destination celebrated for its lively nightlife and sun-soaked beaches, is currently the subject of a significant investigation. Explosive allegations of exploitation and sexual harassment targeting young British seasonal workers have surfaced, prompting an official inquiry by Cyprus Police. The probe was initiated following a recent Channel 4 documentary, which meticulously detailed a disturbing range of alleged malpractices. These included illegal employment and deeply unsettling demands for sexual favours.
The documentary, entitled "Untold: Undercover Working Holidays," revealed a starkly different reality behind the appealing prospect of a "working holiday" package for many young Britons. Investigative journalist Tir Dhondy, working undercover as a prospective employee, covertly recorded interactions suggesting a systematic disregard for worker welfare and legal compliance. Reports indicate that some nightclub proprietors and managers in Ayia Napa allegedly solicited sexual advances in exchange for securing employment. One manager was reportedly heard offering immediate hiring in return for oral sex. Furthermore, another employer allegedly admitted to exposing female workers' breasts, and an intermediary confessed to coercing women into intimate relationships to guarantee their jobs.
Beyond the harrowing accounts of sexual harassment, the documentary also shed light on dire living conditions and employment irregularities. Workers purportedly endured overcrowded and substandard accommodation, frequently lacking essential amenities such as running water and being plagued by mould and insects. The exorbitant cost of this inadequate housing often consumed their entire meagre earnings, leaving many feeling ensnared in a financial trap. Adding to their precarious situation, workers were allegedly encouraged to operate without the requisite work permits, a necessity for British nationals in the EU following Brexit. The sale of illegal nitrous oxide was also cited as a practice some workers were pressured into undertaking.
Cyprus Police, acting on their own initiative after the documentary’s broadcast on January 13, are now meticulously reviewing the presented evidence. Famagusta district police spokesperson Andreas Constantinou stated that the "specific article and video came to the attention of the police, and it was deemed appropriate for the police to conduct an ex officio investigation in order to determine whether any criminal offenses have arisen." This investigation aims to ascertain the extent to which criminal offences have been committed, potentially implicating recruitment agencies in the UK and British companies marketing these work and accommodation packages.
The revelations have resonated beyond Cyprus, with similar patterns of exploitation having been reported in other popular European party destinations like Zante and Magaluf. Andrew Wallis, CEO of the anti-slavery organisation Unseen, highlighted the systemic nature of the problem. He noted that "What we observe happening in Cyprus is that accommodation is linked to work, but the housing is always substandard." He further emphasised that work is illegal for British nationals in the EU without a specific visa, a crucial detail often omitted by package providers.
In response to the mounting concerns, Ayia Napa Mayor Christos Zannettou has pledged to engage with the Minister of Justice and Public Order and the Chief of Police. His stated aim is to identify illicit businesses and address the issue of unsuitable worker accommodation, signalling a commitment to rectifying the situation and safeguarding the resort's reputation. The investigation's findings are anticipated to have significant implications for the oversight of Cyprus' seasonal labour market and could prompt a re-evaluation of how such work holiday schemes are regulated and promoted, both locally and internationally.