The truth is that the Island of Cyprus is some distance from Ukraine and we will never see rockets, bombs, or anything of the sort. The assumption was that there would no affects on our little Island. That was wrong.
Russia claims 700,000 people have fled the country. There is no way that count is anywhere near right. There have been thousands of immigrants arrive here over the past year. Indeed, the line between immigrant and war refugee seems a bit blurry from here too.
The impact these new arrivals has on any given country is, of course, related to your position within your country. For example: in Istanbul rent prices have gone up as much as six-hundred percent. Many long-time tenets have moved and must now make long commutes in order to keep their jobs. While harmful to many locals, the new arrivals have had a positive affect on a weak Turkish economy.
The former Soviet Republics have been hardest hit. Many local citizens in these places are beginning to show open hostility towards Russians. Regardless of war opinions.
Some locales, like Dubai and North Cyprus have also been impacted but not to such an extreme. These two destinations have seen a doubling in rent prices for nicer homes and apartments. It has also impacted the Government’s taxation system. Here in North Cyprus, for example, the Transfer Fee has doubled to 12% for Ex Pats.
Other locations, like Bali are simply considering banning Russians all together. To be clear, most of these immigrants are fleeing a Dictator and a possible death sentence in a war they don’t support. Again the question becomes where is the line between immigrant and war refugee?
Russian arrivals often drive large German sedans with high end nameplates. These folks buy Villas and rent apartments near the beach. To be clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this but it does invite certain stereotypes. Developers, Estate Agents, and homeowners consider these new arrivals manna from heaven.
There are also Ukrainian arrivals. While fewer in number, they drive a wider array of auto types. Anything from sub-compacts to the afore mentioned large sedans. A closer examination of these cars reveals the difference between refugee and immigrant: about half of these cars have those soap-bar shaped cargo pods on top. A moment’s reflection is in order here: If you purchased one of these carriers, that means you are trying to pack everything in your car it can hold. Why? Perhaps it means you don’t know if you’ll have a home when you will return. Or if you will return. One can argue people with Ukrainian license plates deserve the status of war refugee. Ukrainians also have few men in their numbers. The normal family is Mother and children. Russian families seem to always have men within the group. There is no special status for these people at this time.
