Residents of the Menoia community and surrounding areas on Saturday held a protest against the planned construction of a migration reception center in Limnes.

“We are requesting information from the authorities to ensure the safety of our residents and children. Based on what we have heard, without any official confirmation, about 3,000 people will be accommodated there, and we do not know what to expect,” said Sotiris Andreou, head of the Menoia community Council.

Andreu called for a meeting with the relevant authorities, and the head of the Anglicides community, Eleni Sakkada, said that local residents “did not receive the same attention as foreigners.”

Holding placards with the words “We will not live in fear, we demand safety NOW” and “You ignore us, but we will not be silent”, the residents expressed their demands to give them answers.

They read aloud the letter they are going to send to President Nikos Christodoulides, the Speaker of Parliament and the Ministers of the Interior, Justice, Education and Transport, as well as the Deputy Minister of Migration.

Sakkada explained that they are not calling for the project to be stopped, but insist that the facility remain closed — that is, migrants would not be allowed to leave the territory — because “we do not need to be afraid to leave our homes.”

She also tried to emphasize that “we are not racists or xenophobes.”

“The concentration of large numbers of people in a limited area can create conditions that lead to increased crime and security problems, which will directly affect families and residents living and working in the area.”

They called for the adoption of concrete measures to maintain social cohesion, prevent tension and avoid situations that could endanger the quality of life of citizens.

https://russiancyprus.news/news/society/menoyia-residents-protest-planned-migrant-reception-centre/