Cyprus's eligibility rules on long-term residence are the second most restrictive in MIPEX after IE. Migrants must have 5 years of legal residence and a number of years' work; time as a student or asylum seeker does not count. They must then meet various conditions including proof that they have a job contract of over 18 months. This is a significant barrier in a country where migrants are 11 times less likely to be in permanent employment than nationals (68.6% for nationals compared to 6.2% for non-EU migrants). Proposed language and history requirements were dropped from draft legislation following objections from trade unions and NGOs. Long-term residents have security halfway to best practice, in part because their five-year permit will not be renewed if they can no longer meet the original conditions. Cyprus would reach best practice on rights associated if long-term residents could stay in Cyprus after retirement (as in 24 MIPEX countries); and if the law explicitly ensured long-term residents equal access to social security, as in every other MIPEX country.
