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Below are details of a protest organised for this Thursday in London (and
elsewhere). Apologies if you feel this isn't relevant to CASI; I think
we could argue, however, that Britain's current refugee-related policies
are yet another sanction against the Iraqi people...
Nick.
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National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns (NCADC)
110 Hamstead Road
Birmingham B20 2QS
Phone: 0121-554-6947 Fax: 0870-055-4570
E-mail ncadc@ncadc.demon.co.uk
Web site: http://www.ncadc.demon.co.uk/
"Asylum Rights are Human Rights!"
On 25th May 2000 the International Federation of Iraqi Refugees are
organising an international demonstration in a number of European
countries to highlight the plight of thousands of refugees in Turkey
and lend support to the demands of Iraqi refugees facing a bleak
future in Turkey.
Demonstrate
Thursday 25th May 2000
12 to 2:30 PM
UNHCR - London Office
Mill Bank Tower
Mill Bank
London SW1P 4QH
You are probably up to date on the current social and political
situation in Iraq and are aware of the reasons forcing people to
leave their homes and flee from Iraq. Generally speaking insecurity
and fear for one's life, war, terror and murders and the military
intervention of the regional states, compounded by the continuation
of economic sanctions and the suppressive rule of the Iraqi regime,
have made people's lives intolerable. The political uncertainty and
the lack of law and order in Iraqi/Kurdistan are forcing people to
seek a way out and head for a safe place and a life worthy of human
beings.
In the past decade Turkey has acted as a gateway for thousands of
Iraqi desperate to reach a safe third country through the offices of
UNHCR. The amount of suffering and hardship borne on Iraqi refugees
is unbelievable. Daily harassment and fear of arrests and
deportation, lack of daily provisions and financial hardship and on
top of all these the inhumane treatment of these refugees at the
hands of UNHCR officials has turned the lives of Iraqi refugees in
Turkey into living hell. The UNHCR office in Turkey by embarking on
measures including turning down new applications, refusing to
consider appeals and long delays in dealing with applications-usually
exceeding one year and longer, has further intensified the suffering
of the Iraqi refugees in Turkey.
We would like once again, to bring to your attention the current
difficult situation faced by the Iraqi refugees in Turkey and call on
you to put pressure on UNHCR to meet and deliver the demands and
requests of the refugees listed below:
The recognition of the rights to asylum, by the UNHCR Office in
Turkey, for all Iraqi asylum seekers fleeing from Iraq as a result of
the insecurity, political turmoil and lack of safety.
Reopening of those files that have been closed, not dealt with or
have been rejected.
To recognise the representatives of the Council of Iraqi Refugees
(CIR) in Turkey as the collective voice of the refugees and regular
meetings between the representative of CIR and UNHCR in Turkey to
deal with the grievances of the refugees.
For further information please contact:
Dashti Jamal: 0961 441357 or Osman Reza: 07940240464
Federation of Iraqi Refugees - Britain
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