© Sarah Malian 2009
Sunday is the one day in the week when Said Ibrahim, 39, can have dinner with his family. He works without a permit in the Cyprus Republic as a builder 12 hours a day, six days a week. When he broke his arm in four places in a building accident four years ago, he couldn’t claim any compensation and was unable to work for five months. ‘We want for nothing material,’ explains Said, referring to their free housing and weekly stipend. ‘But we are stateless people with no refugee status, no travel documents, no work permits, and no ability to move from here. We have swapped a small prison for a bigger one.’
