Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

Thank you for your e-mail of 16 February to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office,
about UK nationals in the north of Cyprus. The Eastern Mediterranean Department at
the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been asked to reply.

The Prime Minister has been consistently clear that safeguarding the rights of UK
nationals after Brexit is her first priority. The rights of UK nationals who reside in the
north of Cyprus and who want to cross the Green Line post Brexit are therefore an
important issue for the Government that the Foreign Secretary, senior officials from
the Foreign Office and HM High Commissioner in Nicosia have raised with their
counterparts from the Republic of Cyprus. We raised the issue most recently with the
Cypriot High Commissioner in London on 26 March 2019.

The situation of UK nationals resident in the north crossing the Green Line may change
after Brexit – whether or not there is a deal on the terms of our departure from the EU.
The Withdrawal Agreement contains a Protocol on the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs)
which covers the terms under which UK nationals may cross into the SBAs from the
north. We continue to seek greater clarity from the Cypriot authorities on the terms
under which UK nationals resident in the north may be able to cross directly at
Republic of Cyprus crossing points after we leave the EU in both a deal and no deal
scenario.

The High Commissioner in Nicosia has discussed the situation following Brexit with
UK nationals across the island of Cyprus. He met, most recently, with the British
Residents Society on 20 March and has hosted previous meetings, both with
representatives from this group and from the Royal British Legion about Brexit issues
of interest to the British community in the north.

More generally, the British High Commission staff continue to regularly engage with
UK nationals living in Cyprus in an effort to keep all Britons in Cyprus informed of
developments. The High Commissioner hosted a Facebook Live Q&A on 27 February
2019, has previously hosted townhall meetings and penned a weekly Brexit column in the Cyprus Mail.

Eastern Mediterranean Department
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London SW1A 2AH
Website: https://www.gov.uk

Thanks for that - usual Government smoke and mirrors stuff without actually saying anything that you could use. At the moment it is of no use anyway as all the "Deals" have been voted away but it would have been nice to know what the "Protocol" contained as that would be the key to everything. Again thanks for the information - every little helps.

Agree.

Would have been interesting to have information on the protocols. Typically the High Commission have not explained the British viewpoint and what we would expect/require/ or are asking for. Perphaps the follow up should be pleas give us some guidance on what these protocols are.

Crossing from north into the SBA is an interesting one as this is not influenced by the ROC authorities. So once having entered into the SBA (If Indeed the protocol allows it.......maybe it does or it doesn’t) and then driving into the ROC .....not sure how this could be prevented. The ROC authorities will not stop those British service personnel or civilians doing this....indeed before joining the EU this was happening anyway. Of course leaving the island via a ROC airport will be another matter.

Just another grey area.

I agree with you about the protocols. My initial e mail pointed out that Britain was a guarantor of the whole island, that the whole island is in fact in the EU,although the aquis is suspended in the north, and that the high comissioner didnt feel he was answerable to expats in the north as his his concern was for those in the south who lived in the EU, as stated in his interview with a TC journalist.
Anyway he has posted his open letter to UK residents in the TRNC today although who knows after this afternoon in Parliament....