In the city of Limassol, on Cyprus' southern coast, life and business have returned to the multi-ethnic shops on the waterfront that were targeted in early September by anti-migrant attacks. A ransacked Vietnamese grocery store was reopening, Egyptian restaurants – whose windows were still shattered – were preparing grilled meats and a handful of men smoked hookah in a Syrian café. At night, Arab and Asian customers were getting haircuts from two Syrian hairdressers while Nepalese and Indian migrants met up for dinner in a small cafe.

Nonetheless, "it's not like it used to be," said a Nepalese woman who wished to remain anonymous. "I really liked Cyprus: Every community had its own customs, and we all felt safe. Today, I live in fear of a repeat of the attacks." The young widow has been supporting her daughter, who stayed behind in Nepal with relatives.

"Syrian folks used to come and cool off in the evenings on the beach. It's a beautiful place, free of charge. Ever since the attacks they haven't come anymore. I used to feel comfortable in Cyprus, but now I'm wondering if I should leave," said Taysir Ramadan, a Syrian man who has lived in Cyprus for 15 years, where he ran a men's hair salon. He had saved CCTV images in his phone, capturing the explosion of hatred on the night of September 1: One of his employees can be seen dozing on a bench in front of the closed store. A group of men in hoodies come into view, beat him up, and then smash the shop window. Then one of them throws a Molotov cocktail into the store, which bursts into flames. "It took a week of work to restore the place," said Taysir ruefully, estimating the damage at over $14,000 (€13,000).

The wave of violence had been preceded by a demonstration on the waterfront, under the slogan "Refugees not welcome." Between 150 and 200 black-clad people participated, with many concealing their faces. Most of the foreign shopkeepers, who had often taken out loans to start their businesses, opted to close early. Some who lived nearby witnessed the scenes of destruction with their hearts pounding. "I was in a room above the grocery store. I warned my mother not to come home, that it was dangerous," said Flora, a 17-year-old Vietnamese woman. "We were minutes away from being killed," said Moustapha, a young Syrian hairdresser, still reeling from the fires of the Molotov cocktails. Witnesses have called out the apathetic police reaction that night.

'Go back to your country'

In the wake of the ransacking – which mainly targeted Arab shops – a series of racist beatings took place, lasting several days. Asian and African motor-scooter deliverymen, who can be seen waiting all over Limassol's old town outside restaurants and cafés popular with tourists and young Cypriots, were beaten up. "At around 10 in the evening, some men came up to me carrying sticks and metal chains. They said 'go back to your country, we don't want you here,' and then beat me up. I was terrified. This is the third time I've been attacked in Limassol," said Larry Angeh. He arrived in Cyprus in 2021 and is originally from the English-speaking part of Cameroon, where there have been clashes between the army and separatists.

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