The Cabinet approved on Tuesday a proposal by the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Marilena Evangelou which introduces simplified and improved criteria for the resettlement of people in the Turkish occupied areas of the island, namely Rizokarpaso, Agia Triada, Karpasia and Kormakitis. New incentives are provided for new families to resettle, the Deputy Minister said, following the meeting of the Cabinet.

The scheme introduces the provision of financial assistance to Greek Cypriots and members of the Maronite religious group, who have settled permanently in villages that the enclaved live and which are located in areas that are not under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus.

Evangelou said that the right to participate in the resettlement plan is also granted to families whose one of the two spouses resides in the occupied areas, explaining that we have a lot of examples of resettled couples who for insurmountable reasons cannot both live together in the Turkish occupied areas.

At the same time, the number of mandatory overnight stays in the occupied villages remains at four per week, but without the requirement that they be consecutive and without taking into account whether they are on weekdays or weekends.

Evangelou said that this amendment facilitates professional and family obligations especially for those who have children who attend schools in the areas under the control of the Republic of Cyprus and have tutoring and activities in the afternoons.

The Deputy Minister said that the care allowance of 240 euros will now also be granted to couples over 75 years old, in addition to single people which has been the case until now.

She added that with the improvement of the plan, the government looks forward to the continuation of the resettlement, so that our occupied villages remain alive, under the difficult conditions of the Turkish occupation. There are 259 citizens who resettled in occupied villages while the enclaved amount to 126.

Enclaved Greek Cypriots are people who have remained in enclaved villages in the occupied areas after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.

The Government of the Republic of Cyprus endorses relocation schemes to Turkish-occupied villages in the Karpas peninsula and to Maronite villages in the island's Turkish-occupied northwest.