16 January 2026 - Another video exposes the lawlessness prevailing in Cyprus
Before we had even fully grasped the extent of the consequences of the release of the video concerning dealings around the Presidential Palace and the President’s close associates, a new scandal was revealed in Ayia Napa.
An organized crime network was misleading young girls from the United Kingdom with false representations about so-called “working holidays,” while in reality they ended up working illegally in the tourism industry of the Famagusta district under degrading conditions. The revelation was made possible by an undercover journalist and the use of hidden cameras.
Ms. Erato Stylianou-Markidou, coordinator of Volt’s Human Rights Committee, stated:
The concern of those in power is to evade responsibility, not to protect the victims. What procedures exist for victims of sexual violence or labor exploitation to seek help from public authorities? Cyprus continues to fail in protecting them.
Ms. Efi Xanthou, coordinator of Volt’s parliamentary team, added:
Cyprus has previously suffered international humiliation over its inaction on human trafficking. Networks that exploited young women using ‘artist’ visas operated with the cooperation of the state. It is now inconceivable to claim ignorance.
Volt calls on the competent authorities to take immediate action to dismantle these criminal networks and to protect victims and witnesses, so that Cyprus ceases to be a ‘trap’ for victims of human trafficking.