She now faces huge medical bills and possible deportation, the Cyprus Mail reported last Thursday.
Elham Rahimi, 37, fled to Cyprus in 2007 for political asylum, but fell seriously ill around eight months ago. She requires daily dialysis and last week had to have both feet amputated.
The Cypriot asylum service rejected her application February 20, making her an illegal resident and stopping the monthly allowance of $1,400 she had been receiving.
On April 14, she appealed to the Supreme Court. However, the Cyprus Mail said that with the appeal pending Rahimi has fallen between the bureaucratic cracks, facing deportation and a possible $30,000 bill for her operation and other medical costs.
Speaking to the Mail through a translator, Rahimi pleaded for the government to tell her why it rejected her application and why the doctors did not carry out the amputation earlier.
She said that if the Cypriot government is unable or unwilling to help her, she wanted to be sent to another country that would.
Until the Supreme Court reaches a decision, Rahimi’s only hope for legal residency—including access to healthcare—rests with Interior Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis, who can allow Rahimi to remain in Cyprus on humanitarian grounds.
An Interior Ministry source told the Mail, “Strictly speaking her status is illegal, and normally under such conditions we cannot offer status. But these are extraordinary conditions and so the case is under examination.”
The source said that in the meantime Rahimi would have full access to state healthcare.
However, Amir-Masud Khaghani, a friend of Rahimi and a fellow asylum-seeker, disputed that. Khaghani said the doctors have given minimal post-operation care. He said: “The hospital did not give her a wheelchair. Her husband had to carry her to the car [from her hospital bed, when taking her home].”
Khaghani said that since being discharged from Nicosia General Hospital, Rahimi has not received any help from doctors.
“She is in a lot of pain and is very depressed. Her husband is doing everything for her,” Khaghani said. “She cannot go back to Iran. Where can she go?”
Asked whether the government would cover Rahimi’s medical costs, the Interior Ministry source said that was a matter for the Health Ministry to decide. Rahimi said she has no savings with which to pay medical costs.
Doros Polycarpou of the local anti-racism organization KISA has written to the Interior Ministry requesting assistance. Polycarpou said, “The most serious thing is that she needs dialysis liquids to stay alive, but apart from that she needs a wheelchair.”
