MPs concerned over alleged human trafficking in Ayia Napa

Allegations of human trafficking and exploitation of young women working in Ayia Napa, highlighted in a recent Channel 4 documentary, were at the centre of a discussion at the House human rights committee on Monday.

Committee chairwoman and Akel MP Irini Charalambides said deputy migration minister Nicholas Ioannides is expected to address the committee within the next two weeks, to brief the MPs on measures taken by his ministry and the relevant services to protect victims, tackle human trafficking, and penalise perpetrators.

Attending police’s assistant director Andreas Anastasiadis told the MPs that the authorities had since launched an ex officio investigation into the video, taken several statements, and requested further information from the British broadcaster.

Meanwhile, he added, the cyber crime department was reviewing allegations made against a website that was reportedly advertising job positions in Cyprus during the summer.

He refrained from providing further details so as not to jeopardize the ongoing investigations, but noted in this context that police efforts to combat human trafficking have been intensified in recent years resulting in 30 convictions across 21 cases since 2021, with a further 30 cases currently pending.

The MPs said that following their discussion, it had become clear that the multidisciplinary group for combating human trafficking, as the coordinating body currently under the deputy migration ministry, was “not adequately performing its duties.”

Responding to the MPs harsh criticism, chairwoman Charalambides announced that she would request that the coordination of the body be moved under the justice ministry, which also includes the police.

“What we heard in the Committee was the description of a chaotic situation which did not at all correspond to the timetables that the Ministry of Interior sent and are recorded in the assignment letter. I really do not know what to comment on, I am unable to characterise the situation,” she said.

The deputy ministry’s spokesperson, speaking at the committee meeting, said that the relevant multidisciplinary body had met twice in 2024 and once in early December 2025 for the discussion of a relevant bill.

She assured that she would seek a meeting with Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou to discuss the transfer of the body’s coordination to his ministry.

Disy MP Rita Superman said the circumstances depicted in the documentary were not so much of a “negative reality” for Cyprus, but rather for women in general.

“We are not talking about a video and a report, but about a system that has allowed exploitation, impunity and the action of organised groups for years,” she said.

She added that while the public had heard in the media about procedures and restrictions, there had been little discussion of results, arguing that a default response of “there were no complaints” in regard to human trafficking cases [as reported by the media] pointed to an institutional gap, both operational and political.

Superman stressed that authorities have yet to explain the failure to identify potential victims, coordinate services, or activate tools to combat organised crime.

“We are not talking about ignorance, but about inaction,” she said, adding that the same phenomena had been witnessed in the past and alleging the multidisciplinary body of a “lack of will.”

Volt MP Alexandra Attalidou described human trafficking as “a product of the system.”

She warned of a lack of control and urged that victims needed to be identified proactively, to ensure that authorities could intervene and provide relevant support, while tackling the root of the problem.

“The state should show zero tolerance,” she said.

Attalidou added that victims are frequently compelled to leave the country in secrecy, as they face intimidation and threats if they attempt to file a complaint or agree to testify against their traffickers.

Ayia Napa mayor Christos Zannetou said that the municipality had conducted their own investigation into the establishments, as well as the broader social and administrative challenges affecting the town, however emphasised that the responsibility for monitoring accommodation used by seasonal workers no longer lies with the municipality, highlighting a gap in local oversight.

Zannetou said that a comprehensive meeting has been scheduled for February 6 to address a range of persistent concerns affecting area, including public safety, law enforcement and the management of seasonal workforce accommodations with Justice Minister Constantinos Ioannou and police chief Themistos Arnaoutis expected to attend.

The discussion refers to allegations first brought up in a recently published documentary episode produced by Channel 4, alleging a system of exploitation targeting young British women lured to Cyprus for so-called “working holidays”, where they face illegal employment practices, sexual harassment and unsafe living conditions.