25. Juni 2012 · Kommentare deaktiviert für Ägypten: zur Lage der Flüchtlinge · Kategorien: Eritrea, Mittelmeerroute · Tags: ,

Egypt Independant, 21 of June 2012
by Sara Sadek

Where are the refugees from Egypt’s revolution?

http://www.egyptindependent.com/opinion/where-are-refugees-egypt%E2%80%99s-revolution

For the past 10 years, 20 June has been marked to commemorate the World
Refugee Day (WRD). Egypt has witnessed celebrations for WRD initiated by
grassroots groups or agencies serving refugees. Such celebrations were
often artistic in nature, attempting to bridge the gap between refugees
and Egyptian nationals. Egypt is considered one of the major centers
hosting urban refugees in the global south, including Sudanese, Southern
Sudanese, Iraqi, Ethiopians, Eritrean and Palestinian refugees as well as
other smaller East African groups. Yet despite the large number of
refugees and their presence in the heart of Egypt’s major cities, the
local population remains largely unaware of the causes for their
displacement or their living conditions. Several factors have contributed
to the lack of interest in the refugee problem in Egypt.

According to a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Egyptian
government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),
the responsibilities of Refugee Status Determination, protection and
service provision have been delegated to the latter. As a signatory to the
1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees, Egypt has made reservations on
a few articles depriving refugees of accessing basic services. To date,
Egypt has no local legislation governing refugee affairs, which has left
refugees and asylum seekers vulnerable to arbitrary policies and
practices. Such framework has made it difficult to pressure the government
to take responsibility for refugees. Through UNHCR’s partners, as well as
other legal aid and relief organizations, refugees have been able to
access basic services. Yet due to financial and administrative constraints
faced by service providers, many refugees‘ demands remain unmet. For
economic survival, refugees count on income-generating activities, or in
most cases, on unskilled labor.

The fact that refugees are considered a “threat to national security” has
been systematically used by authorities to justify their ill-treatment,
which has accordingly affected the public’s perception towards refugees.
Through state media, the government has succeeded in portraying refugees
as unwanted guests competing over resources and threatening national
security. A good example was the media coverage of the three-month sit-in
organized by Sudanese refugees in 2005 in front of UNHCR’s previous
premises, ending in what is often referred to as the „Mostafa Mahmoud
Massacre.“ The sit-in, which lasted for three months without interference
from authorities, was suddenly portrayed as causing disruption and health
hazards in the area. Some media sources went as far as spreading the
rumors that refugees were committing sexual activities during the sit-in.
Thus when the sit-in was brutally dismantled, the Egyptian public remained
unsympathetic. Similar strategies have been followed by the government to
justify arbitrary arrests, detention and deportation. In theory, Egypt has
committed to the principle of non-refoulement; yet the government
continues to systematically deport Sub-Saharan refugee groups.
Additionally, the government has continued to shoot refugees on the
borders attempting to escape to Israel. After the revolution, the shooting
practice has been extended to include refugees in Aswan attempting to flee
Sudan and enter Egypt.

While the government bears a responsibility toward the lack of interest in
refugee issues, NGOs are also to be blamed. Organizations catering to
refugees have focused their efforts on legal aid and relief services.
Initiatives to bridge the gap between the local population and refugees
have remained very minimal. Additionally, many organizations have
deliberately refrained from engaging in advocacy-related activities lest
their operations be jeopardized. Refugees have been left to suffer daily
xenophobic practices manifested in harassment. As Egypt is undergoing
socio-political changes, refugees are at risk of further marginalization.
One cannot simply claim that refugees have been particularly targeted
after the revolution. Yet refugees remain more vulnerable than Egyptians.
According to a Sudanese refugee leader, “Egyptians are protected after
all. If they are exposed to thugs, they resort to friends and family. As a
refugee, you had to have had very positive relations with Egyptians prior
to these events to resort to them for protection, which is not always the
case.”

Before the revolution, refugees were able, at least in theory, to file
complaints against perpetrators, but these days they are turned away at
police stations on the basis that their claims are related to a „refugee
problem.“ Additionally, refugees have occasionally been subjected to
arbitrary verbal attacks demanding that they „go home since Mubarak is
gone.“  While no one could argue against the fact that refugee influxes
reached its peak during Mubarak’s regime due to the political unrest in
various neighboring countries, refugees have lived a dark era under
Mubarak. Thus it is very ironic to consider them beneficiaries of the
previous regime.

In recent years, the situation of refugees in Egypt has been marked with
uncertainty and vulnerability. The lack of a clear policy and practice
toward refugees has led to diffused roles among agencies and service
providers concerned with refugee affairs. Additionally the misconception
among the public that refugees are burdens catered to by some
organizations but still competing over resources, has increased
intolerance toward them.

In post-revolution Egypt, refugee-related issues have remained absent in
the agendas of the presidential candidates and the transitional
governments. The perception that refugees will remain ignored due to the
government’s preoccupation with local issues is a concern among refugees
and their advocates.  It is not in the refugees‘ best interest to be
singled out in terms of protection and social service needs. The
challenges faced by refugees should not be looked at separately, but
should be incorporated under the aspired-for human rights framework.

If the pillars of the Egyptian revolution revolve around equity, justice
and freedom, then perceiving refugees as second-class citizens is a
prejudice. Now is the best time for concerned actors to cooperate to
advocate for the rights of refugees within the realm of the aspired-for
respect for human rights following Egypt’s revolution.

Sara Sadek is a PhD Student at the University of York, UK and a consultant
on refugee issues.

25. Juni 2012 · Kommentare deaktiviert für Israel: Abschiebungen zur Elfenbeinküste ab Juli 2012? · Kategorien: Israel · Tags:

1.500 bis 2.000 Ivoirer von Abschiebung bedroht

Haaretz, 25th of June 2012: „Ivorian migrants lose appeal against deportation ordersSituation in Ivory Coast has seen ‚gradual but significant improvement in recent months,‘ writes judge; an estimated 1,500-2,000 Ivorians will be
deported from Israel starting in July.“ Vollständiger Artikel:

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/ivorian-migrants-lose-appeal-against-deportation-orders-1.443642

25. Juni 2012 · Kommentare deaktiviert für Griechenland – Türkei · Kategorien: Griechenland, Türkei · Tags: , ,

Lost at Border. A Journey to the lost and the dead of the Greek borders

Eine Dokumentation zu den Verschwundenen und Toten an den griechischen Grenzen (englisch)

http://infomobile.w2eu.net/files/2012/01/lostatborder_bericht_web.pdf

25. Juni 2012 · Kommentare deaktiviert für Sudan: Preissteigerungen und Proteste · Kategorien: Nicht zugeordnet · Tags: , ,

LabourNet Germany schreibt am 24.06.2012:

Wachsende Proteste in Omdurman und Khartoum: Steigende Preise für
Grundnahrungsmittel durch Subventionskürzungen

Vor dem Hintergrund ohnehin stark steigender Preise hat die sudanesische
Regierung angesichts der auch dieses Land erfassenden Wirtschaftskrise
noch ein rigides Sparprogramm draufgesetzt: „Wisst ihr, was eine Tasse
Zucker kostet?“ war eine der ersten Parolen, die aufkamen als die
studentischen Proteste von wachsenden Teilen der örtlichen Bevölkerung der
Großstädte aufgenommen wurden. Seit dem 16. Juni wachsen die täglichen
Proteste an – die Heftigkeit der Auseinandersetzungen der DemonstrantInnen
mit der Polizei und Gruppen der Regierungspartei nimmt ebenfalls zu –
Razzien während Vorlesungen gehörten in diesen Tagen zum Alltag. Da
ausgerechnet die USA sich „besorgt“ zeigten werden deren Maßnahmen, die
Proteste zu beeinflussen ebenso intensiviert werden, wie sich wohl
Menschen finden werden, die deswegen der sudanesischen Regierung
irgendeinen Antiimperialismus attestieren wollen werden… Der Bericht
„Sudan revolt day 5: New arrests and more victims“ von Radio Dabanga am
20. Juni 2012:
http://www.radiodabanga.org/node/32094

Siehe dazu auch: „IFJ Condemns Suspension of Two Newspapers in Sudan“ vom
12. Juni 2012 die Erklärung der Internationalen Journalistenföderation
gegen die Schliessung zweier Zeitungen, die über die allerersten kleineren
Proteste anders berichtet hatten, als von der Regierung gewünscht..:
http://africa.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-condemns-suspension-of-two-newspapers-in-sudan

Sowie: „SUDAN: Austerity package sparks protests“ am 20. Juni 2012 bei
IRIN, ein Bericht in dem auch die konkreten Preissteigerungen und ihre
Auswirkungen zusammengefasst werden:
http://www.irinnews.org/Report/95692/SUDAN-Austerity-package-sparks-protests

25. Juni 2012 · Kommentare deaktiviert für Amnesty International gegen Abkommen Italien-Libyen · Kategorien: Italien, Libyen · Tags: , ,

Amnesty Internation ruft zum Protest und zu einer Unterschriftenaktion gegen das migrations- und flüchtlingsfeindliche Abkommen beider Länder auf. In dem Appell finden sich Details zu Abkommen und Kooperation.

http://amnesty.at/index.php?id=1778

http://www.amnesty.fr/AI-en-action/Personnes-deracinees/Refugies-dans-le-monde/Actualites/Italie-Pas-d-accords-de-controle-des-migrations-avec-la-Libye-5602

25. Juni 2012 · Kommentare deaktiviert für Internierungslager auf neuem Berliner Flughafen BER · Kategorien: Deutschland · Tags: ,

Protest

Die Eröffnung des neuen Flughafens BER „Willy Brandt“ wurde auf März 2013 verschoben – die Internierungseinrichtung für Flüchtlinge am BER zur Durchführung des sogenannten Flughafen-Asylverfahrens ist jedoch bezugsfertig und soll nach Willen der Landesregierung Brandenburg noch im Juli in Betrieb gehen.
Nach Auskunft der Pressestelle den Brandenburger Innenministeriums sollen in der neu richteten Unterkunft die Abläufe für das Flughafenverfahren erprobt und Asylsuchende, die am alten Flughafen Schönefeld ankommen, interniert werden. Gegen diese Pläne protestieren wir und der Flüchtlingsrat Berlin scharf. Wir haben eine Online Petition gestartet, in der wir die Landesregierung auffordern, die Inbetriebnahme der Einrichtung zu verweigern.
Sie kann hier gezeichnet werden: Online Petition.
Wir möchten Sie/euch alle bitten, die Petition so breit wie nur irgendmöglich in Ihrem/eurem Umfeld zu bewerben, da wir uns 5000 Unterschriften zum Ziel gesetzt haben.
Im Juli planen verschieden antirassistische Organisationen weitere Protestaktionen gegen die Inbetriebnahme der Internierungseinrichtung und das Flughafenverfahren. Außerdem rufen die Flüchtlingsräte dazu auf, am Tag X nach Inbetriebnahme den „Asylknast“ vor Ort in Augenschein zu nehmen und lautstark dessen Schließung zu fordern.
Am 21.7.2012 endet die Zeichnungsfrist, dann werden die gesammelten Unterschriften an Ministerpräsident Platzeck übergeben.

Dorothea Lindenberg
Flüchtlingsrat Brandenburg

Rudolf-Breitscheid-Str. 164
14482 Potsdam
tel 0331 716 499
fax 0331 887 15 460