Documentary Projects Shortlist

R_EU_nification
Radu Diaconu
Series description

Cyprus is still reeling from the effects of the 1974 Greek-led coup and the subsequent Turkish invasion that divided the island into two communities. Yet both Greek- and Turkish-Cypriots now deal with an influx of refugees that threatens to change the island’s demographic.

With a population of around 850,000, Cyprus holds the largest share of asylum-seekers per capita - 3.5 percent - in all of Europe. In the last five months of 2022, more than 10,000 asylum seekers submitted asylum claims in the Republic of Cyprus; in 2021 there were more asylum claims than births in Cyprus.

These arrivals, coupled with an already broken system threaten to upend the fragile peace that has been held since 1974. As one side tries to derail the other by sending them across the border, migrants suffer while waiting in limbo, becoming the victims of racism, and extortion by landlords and employers, with no prospect of a better life.

Biography

Originally from Bucharest, Romania, I immigrated to Canada in 1993, 4 years after the fall of the Ceausescu regime. I pursued my studies in science and humanities throughout high school and went to Concordia University to pursue a degree in political science and photography (fine arts). I work on medium to long-term projects mostly focused on socio-political and religious issues.

N
‘N’, a migrant from Congo, poses for a portrait in front of one of the UN Buffer Zone walls separating the Republic of Cyprus and the TRNC. The city of Nicosia is the last divided city in Europe, split roughly in the middle by the UN-patrolled Buffer Zone. N left Congo in search of better opportunities and the possibility to study in Europe. Nicosia, Cyprus, August 2020
Border
A view of the UN Buffer Zone separating the Republic of Cyprus and the TRNC. This is where most of the migrants cross into the Republic of Cyprus, often travelling by car at night before they are left to walk for miles and miles until they reach a village or police station. Deneia, Cyprus, August 2020
Raymond and Ismael
Raymond and Ismael, two migrants from Sierra Leone, in their courtyard after a day at work. They met at a camp in December of 2021 and now live in this house in a field in the village of Kokkinotrimithia. The landlord is charging them each €125 for rent (with four people in a room), plus electricity and water. Kokkinotrimithia, Cyprus, April 2022
Ali
Ali, a migrant from Sierra Leone, is resting. He fled Sierra Leone because of family and land problems, which started after his father, a high-ranking official in the military, died. He has a 9-year-old son and has now started working in the kitchen of a hotel in Ayia Napa. Kokkinotrimithia, Cyprus, April 2022
Pournara Camp
Migrants waiting for the camp to hand out food before sunset. Migrants often complain that the food is not suited to their diet, so a lot of them end up trying to cook their own food in the camp with whatever money they have left or are able to earn by doing small jobs. Kokkinotrimithia, Cyprus, April 2022
UNFICYP
Two UN soldiers during a morning patrol around the Chetinkaya moat in the Buffer Zone dividing the TRNC and the Republic of Cyprus. This area is a major hotspot for illegal crossings on the island – a lot of migrants come down the wall, run to the fence and try to climb over. Nicosia, Cyprus, April 2022
Nicosia
The Old City of Nicosia is thousands of years old. It has been through several conquests by the Arabs, Franks, Venetians, Ottomans, and British, which lead up to the war of 1974 with Turkey. This effectively split the island nation into two states: the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Republic of Cyprus (RoC), an EU member. TRNC is a de-facto state that is only recognised by Turkey. Nicosia, Cyprus, May 2022
Migrants
Migrants from Guinea share a meal inside an apartment. Migrants live in this building without heat, electricity or running water. The landlord has either abandoned the building or stopped taking care of it, with infested water and faeces often running outside the corridors. Migrants in Cyprus often live in unbearable conditions that are worse than they could ever imagine back home. Oroklini, Cyprus, June 2022