"Can I be given a little money until I am deported?”: Student who went to Ercan airport to seek help in returning home tell court

A student who went to Ercan airport to seek help from the police to return to his country since he has no money for flight ticket was arrested by Turkish Cypriot authorities for living in north Cyprus without a resident permit.

The suspect, DNN, 26, a Cameroon national was arrested for residing in the TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) without a residence permit and brought before the court.

Police told the court that at around 9:30pm on January 19, the suspect was found at Ercan Airport. During an immigration check conducted by officers from the immigration branch, it was determined that the suspect had been residing in the TRNC without a residence permit for a total of 782 days since November 29, 2022, leading to his arrest.

The officer explained that the suspect had stated that he wanted to return to his home country but could not afford a ticket due to a lack of money. As a result, he went to Ercan Airport to seek help from the police.

The officer also noted that the suspect declared he had no place to stay.

The police stated that the suspect had been brought before the court and an additional 3-day detention order was issued. During this time, investigations were conducted with the immigration department, and it was examined whether the suspect had been involved in any crimes.

The police officer reported that the necessary correspondence for the suspect's deportation had been initiated and that they were awaiting results. The officer requested that the suspect remain in custody for one more day.

When given the opportunity to speak in court, the suspect said, “I have no money at all. Could I be given a little money until I am deported?”

After evaluating the testimony before her, Judge Nuray Necdet ordered that the suspect remain in custody for one more day.