The President of the Cyprus Association of Funeral Directors and Embalmers, Maro Mela, has accused the authorities of turning a blind eye to illegal funeral homes operating across the island- including one run out of a private backyard.
Speaking to Protoselido, Mela said the issue has existed since funeral industry regulations were introduced in 2017. “The police and the Ministry of Interior are fully aware that there are people working without licences,” she stated. “And I would say it’s happening with their blessing.”
One particularly egregious case involves a makeshift funeral home operating from someone’s backyard. According to Mela, the operator told the Ministry they were not in business, yet police went there to conduct the funeral of a fellow officer. “That’s the worst part,” she said. “They used an illegal setup for an official burial.”
She went on to claim that even some licensed funeral directors are helping the problem continue by selling authorisations to unlicensed operators, allowing them to collect bodies from morgues without facing any consequences.
“When the state endorses illegality, it undermines those of us who follow the law,” Mela said. “The Ministry knows everything. I just don’t understand why they won’t act.”
