Cyprus’s accession to Schengen may paralyze checkpoint crossings

In Lefkoşa, a mass informational meeting of human rights defenders was held, where the main cause for concern was the possible accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the Schengen area. According to activists from the "Faceless" association, this move by the southern authorities could result in a severe crisis at crossing points and isolation for thousands of residents of the TRNC.
The main danger of the Schengen process lies in the fact that integration is moving forward without taking into account the unique status of the divided island. The Schengen system requires strict control at external borders, but there is still no clear mechanism for how these rules will be applied at the "green line".
The introduction of strict European standards will hit mixed families living in the TRNC the hardest, whose children cannot obtain documents from the South. The southern side's transition to the Schengen system will effectively block free passage through the checkpoints for them. Human rights defenders warn that without the adoption of urgent temporary exemptions, the new visa rules will lead to humanitarian problems and the forced separation of families, which will lose the ability to cross the border legally.