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Dispatches No. 254
Up | February 27, 2009
REFUGEE NEWS BRIEFINGS
UPDATES ON JRS PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
REFUGEE NEWS BRIEFINGS
KENYA: THOUSANDS OF REFUGEES TO BE TRANSFERRED
On 5 February, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) announced its latest plan to transfer thousands of refugees to Kakuma camp.
According to UNHCR, the ongoing arrival of Somalis into the three Dadaab camps in northeastern Kenya has stretched resources beyond acceptable limits.
The population of the three camps is estimated at 250,000, nearly three times the number it was originally established to house. Consequently, there has been enormous demand on water resources and sanitation systems and two cholera epidemics broke out in 2007. Housing shortages and poor security have led to an increase in sexual- and gender-based violence, with the number of cases doubling last year.
With the recent withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia, the number of new arrivals is expected to increase this year.
UNHCR is currently planning to move thousands of refugees from Dadaab to Kakuma camp, 1200 km away in northwestern Kenya.
Numbers in Kakuma camp have reduced to 51,000 in the last few years as most Sudanese refugees have gone home. Agencies working there are expecting the arrival of the first refugees any time now.
Limited resources pose problems
"We are all still grappling with the sudden news that 50,000 refugees are going to be transferred to Kakuma. Many agencies, facing logistical problems and reduced facilities on the ground, do not have enough resources to deal with such a high influx of refugees", JRS Project Director in Kakuma, Elizabeth Ogaye, told Dispatches on 24 February.
JRS is currently exploring ways of extending its services.
"We were asked by UNHCR to build another two safe havens for women and children but at the moment funds are not sufficient for such a major undertaking", added Ms Ogaye.
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SOUTH AFRICA: FAMILY HELPED FIND ACCOMMODATION AFTER CHILD DIES
The tragic death of six year old Mbonayo Mauwa in a makeshift shelter demonstrates the urgent need to integrate refugees into local communities.
This was the message sent by JRS South Africa Director, Gerard Shavatu, to Dispatches shortly after a fire took the life of the young Burundian refugee girl.
The little girl was asleep with her mother and 10-month-old sibling at the time of the fire in the early hours of the morning on 14 February. After the incident, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) immediately contacted JRS.
Unfortunately, as it happened during the weekend no social workers were available. Nevertheless, JRS staff managed to place the mother and her children in the Villa Lodge accommodation centre and make arrangements for the funeral. The following Monday, 16 February, the little girl was buried in the local mosque with the assistance of JRS and UNHCR.
A role for the state
"It is important that roles and responsibilities are clear. JRS continues to assist individuals who come to our offices and of course will always respond to emergencies such as the tragic death of a child. However, it is the responsible of UNHCR and the government of South Africa to attend to the needs of those remaining in Akasia camp", affirmed JRS Southern Africa Director Sr Joanne Whitaker.
"As a consequence of the tragedies at Akasia camp, 33 refugees have voluntarily approached JRS in Johannesburg seeking assistance. Our project director, Thabile Maphosa, is working to ensure that everybody finds accommodation. We hope others will follow their example", Mr Shavatu said.
For the full article and background information see www.jrs.net/reports
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SRI LANKA: NO PLACE TO HIDE FOR CIVILIANS
On 23 February, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a "suspension in fighting".
The UN renewed its call on the Sri Lanka government and LTTE Tamil insurgents to work for a political discussion to achieve an orderly end to the conflict. Ban stated that the UN deplores the increasing casualties among civilians trapped in the intense fighting ... and would strongly support a suspension in fighting for the purpose of allowing safe passage of the civilian population trying to flee the conflict.
The statement followed a declaration by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, urging the protection of civilians be the first priority in the ongoing conflict. Ms Coomaraswamy also called on the LTTE to release civilians especially children.
Civilians die daily
According to aid agencies and church members on the ground, ongoing warfare is putting civilians, particularly women and children, at grave risk. Of the 32,000 displaced persons who reached the northern Vavuniya district this month, an estimated 700–800 are women at different stages of pregnancy. Many women have lost access to family planning services exposing them to unwanted pregnancies in perilous conditions.
Despite the establishment of government safe zones, civilians continue to be injured and killed on a daily basis by shelling in these areas. In the space of a few days between 20 and 22 February, at least 96 civilians were killed and another 300 others injured by shelling throughout the conflict zone. Between 11 and 20 February, approximately 1,600 injured civilians were brought from Mullaitivu to Trincomalee for hospital treatment.
About 50,000 soldiers are pressing the LTTE into a patch of northeastern jungle after taking the key areas of Kilinochchi, Elephant Pass and Mullaitivu. The government has rejected international calls for a ceasefire, demanding the rebels lay down their arms.
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ITALY: LAMPEDUSA CENTRE GOES UP IN FLAMES
On 18 February, desperate migrants held at a detention centre on the Italian island of Lampedusa set fire to the facility.
According to Tavolo Asilo, a network of human rights NGOs which includes JRS Italy, the situation on the island has seriously worsened. There were more than 800 migrants in the centre, of whom 300 went on hungry strike that Tuesday when the fire started.
"What is being described as the Lampedusa model has literally gone up in flames …recent events (mass escapes, attempted suicides, episodes of self-harming, fires) have destroyed the delicate balance in the centre based on the fact that Lampedusa centre was a reception and transit centre", said Laura Boldrini, UN refugee agency (UNHCR) spokesperson and member of Tavolo Asilo.
NGOs urge action
In an open letter to the president, prime minister and interior minister of Italy, the members of Tavolo Asilo expressed its profound concern about recent events at Lampedusa detention centre. They urged the government to investigate the incident and identify those responsible.
Tavolo Asilo called urgently for:
- all migrants to be immediately transferred to a suitable structure where they will have access to administrative procedures, in particular the asylum determination process;
- the Lampedusa centre to be exclusively used as a reception centre for newly arrived migrants.
International community condemnationFrom April 2006 to December 2008, migrants arriving on the island were hosted temporarily in the centre and subsequently transferred to the Italian mainland. The small island of Lampedusa, with a population of little more than 6,000 people, is not a suitable place to accommodate migrants for more than a brief period of time. The government decision to detain all migrants arriving at the country's coastal borders, regardless of their legal status, is causing increasing tension.
The transformation of the centre into an identification and deportation centre has already raised international and national concerns, including alarming reports from the Senate Commission on Human Rights and a delegation of the European Parliament.
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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: MORE DOWNS THAN UPS IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION
The lack of public debate on refugees and migrants was no indication of an improvement in the country's human rights situation in 2008.
Presidential campaigning until last August meant that when political parties addressed migration and asylum, they did it from a security prospective. The only promises made by politicians were to strengthen frontier controls and the presence of the military in border areas. Little or no mention was made of protecting these communities.
In order to understand the worries faced by migrant and refugee communities, it is necessary to examine the issues from four perspectives:
- denial of documentation
- conflict with the authorities on the border
- acts of violence against Haitians
- working conditions for Haitians
Denial of documentation
Following a circular prohibiting the issuance of Dominican birth certificates to children of non-nationals, state officials began confiscating identity documents under the pretext they were false. In the interim they remain in limbo, without either Haitian or Dominican citizenship. Asylum seekers faced similar difficulties as the national commission for refugees did not process any applications last year, leaving them without a definitive legal status.
Conflict with the authorities on the border
Following accusations of abuse at the border, NGOs reached an agreement with the authorities to monitor the military border police (CESFRONT). Despite some progress, Haitians fleeing a series of natural disasters were refused access to Dominican territory
Acts of violence against Haitians
Most attacks on Haitians remained local affairs until June when, following the murder of a young Dominican, mobs throughout the country went on the rampage: killing two Haitians, injuring nine others and burning the houses of another 29. Dozens of terrorised Haitians fled.
Working conditions for Haitians
Even though working conditions for Haitians continued to be deplorable, some progress was made last year. Last November, the labour court ruled in favour of 500 sugarcane workers who for 10 years have sought written contracts, granting the right to salary increases, holiday pay, health insurance etc.
For more details in English see www.jrs.net/reports/ or in Spanish see http://www.sjrdom.org/spip/spip.php?article887
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ECUADOR: MIGRANTS USED AS SCAPEGOATS
The global economic is being used by EU states and the US as an excuse to implement laws encouraging xenophobia.
According to a JRS Ecuador statement on 13 February, these measures are criminalising migration, and attenuating the marginalisation and exclusion of refugee and migrant populations.
The Jesuit organisation highlighted measures taken by the Italian and US governments. In Italy, the government has issued a decree calling on doctors to report undocumented migrants and refuse to treat them. In the US laws have been tightened resulting in increased police raids on migrant places of work. JRS also criticised the latest EU directive on sanctions for employers who hire undocumented migrants, describing it as the "directive of shame".
Ecuadorian government should act
Prohibited from working or exercising their basic human rights, migrants are unable to offer the hope of a better future to their families and are being forced to live in fear of xenophobia.
JRS urged the Ecuadorian government to take measures to protect its citizens abroad, in particular using its embassies and consulates to monitor and condemn human rights abuses. The statement stressed the need to earmark sufficient human and financial resources to these institutions to undertake this role, adding that the Ecuadorian government should use civil society and church networks to protect migrant rights.
In the name of coherency, JRS also urged the government to respect the rights of migrants and refugees in Ecuador, beginning with the removal of the need to obtain a visa before coming into the country.
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USA: NGOS URGE ADMINISTRATION TO PROTECT HAITIANS, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY
On 17 February, Refugee Council USA sent an open letter to Janet Napolitano urging she grant temporary protection to Haitians arriving into the country.
In the letter to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Refugee Council USA – a coalition of 25 refugee organisation, including JRS USA – pointed out that since September last Haiti has suffered massive destruction wrought by four deadly storms. These disasters have left more than 800,000 people in need of emergency humanitarian assistance – without food, water, shelter or healthcare, compounding an existing food crisis.
Haiti needs time
The groups joined the president of Haiti, Rene Preval, and a number of US congressional representatives, in calling on the US to halt deportations of Haitians until the humanitarian situation improves in their homeland. Temporary protection status, according to the NGOs, will allow the Haitian government to invest its limited resources into rebuilding damaged infrastructure and offering emergency relief to its suffering citizens.
Precedents exist
Temporary protection status was granted to nationals of Honduras and Nicaragua after Hurricane Mitch in 1998, and to Salvadorans after the 2001 earthquake. It is normally granted if:
- ongoing armed conflict poses a serious threat to personal safety;
- requested from by a foreign state temporarily unable to manage the return of its nationals due to an environmental disaster; or
- extraordinary and temporary conditions in a foreign state exist which prevent non-nationals from returning home.
According to the NGOs, the current circumstances in Haiti fall well within the criteria for granting temporary protection status.
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UPDATES ON JRS PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
KENYA: NEW OUTREACH CENTRE OPENS
On 4 February, JRS opened a new outreach centre, Divine Word, in Kayole parish, eastern Nairobi.
Twenty-seven families who were previously receiving assistance from nearby St Theresa Church centre in Eastleigh were redirected to the new centre. The number quickly expanded as shortly after it opened 15 more refugees approached the parish looking for assistance. This latest addition brings the total number of JRS outreach centres in the city to five.
The JRS Urban Emergency Programme (UEP) in Nairobi assists new arrivals and asylum seekers through a network of parishes within the archdiocese of Nairobi. The programme provides food, non-food items and healthcare on a weekly basis.
Last October and November, there was a significant increase in the number of Congolese refugees. It became clear that the continuing arrival of refugees necessitated the re-opening of the Divine Word centre. Between January 2003 and June 2004, JRS had served refugees in the parish, but it later closed after the number of new refugee arrivals decreased.
JRS and local parishes
By the beginning of December, 30 families were being assisted in the Eastleigh centre. From November 2008, JRS staff met with the Divine Word parish priest to identify ways of improving services to this new group. The parish priest identified a social worker and provided the space to store food and materials. Within the grounds, the parish manages a health centre and JRS provides basic emergency assistance and psychosocial support.
According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), there are more than 300,000 refugees in Kenya, of whom more than 35,000 live in Nairobi. Upon arrival in the country, refugees often have little or no sources of income. JRS responds to the unmet emergency needs of urban refugees in particularly vulnerable circumstances.
At the beginning of the year JRS expected to support 250 new arrivals and refugees in vulnerable circumstances. However, this number may increase. Refugees and asylum seekers continue to face great difficulties. New arrivals and asylum seekers have no source of income and many of those previously able to meet their needs have been affected by post-election violence in December 2007.
For the full article with further details on the urban project see www.jrs.net/news
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CHAD: SCHOOL OPENS FOR SEMI-NOMADIC CHILDREN
On 17 February, JRS opened a primary school for 94 children in Himede village, near the eastern city of Goz Beida.
Working in close cooperation with semi-nomadic communities, JRS now supports seven schools serving approximately 700 children.
In recent years, inter-communal conflict – between government, Sudanese, and rebel forces – has destabilised eastern Chad. Competition for land and resources between nomadic groups and farmers nurtures a climate of xenophobia.
Rationale for JRS intervention
JRS has supported education for displaced and local populations affected by the violence since 2006. In line with its mission to promote education for all, JRS recognised that semi-nomadic communities are often forgotten during crises. This conflict is no different as this mainly Arab population are often confused with the Janjaweed, a Sudanese backed militia which has attacked Chad's eastern villages. Consequently, many hesitate before sending their children to local schools, saying they are stigmatised by other populations.
"Lack of access to education is a great barrier for us. It is partly why we live out here in the bush. The best way to overcome our challenges and have a better future is through education but the government does not help us", a village leader told Dispatches.
JRS approach
"Employing a community-based approach, JRS first meets with people in their villages to assess their needs and desires. Semi-nomadic populations are already very self-sufficient. They are usually surprised when an organisation reaches out and remains committed to them", project director, Mr Fabien Lapouge, explained.
Communities build their schools with local materials and insist on taking full responsibility for paying their teachers who are volunteers from the community often without formal training. JRS provides training to empower teachers and encourages the establishment of parent-teacher associations to manage the schools.
In cooperation with the UN children's fund (UNICEF), JRS also distributes school supplies and building materials. In response to feedback provided by the villagers, personnel also engage with humanitarian agencies encouraging them to meet other needs, such as access to drinking water and vaccinations. If the community so requests, JRS also recruits local francophone teacher trainers.
"Learning French is very important to us. For example, if our livestock fall sick, we need French to know which medicines to use and how to use them", said one villager.
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ITALY: CONFERENCES CHALLENGING RACISM
On 25 March, JRS will host the first of four conferences challenging racism in modern Italy.
The series, entitled "I'm, not a racist, but…" seeks to highlight the climate of increasing tension in the country.
According to JRS staff episodes of intolerance and xenophobia are on the rise, and especially the use of stereotypes, insults, and general impatience towards difference.
"Statements by certain politicians and the manipulation of news by some media outlets transmit a dangerous message to the public: the limits to what can be said and done depend on the ethnic identity, legal status or even the skin colour of the person in front of you", JRS Italy Programme Officer Chiara Peri told Dispatches on 25 February.
Addressing stereotypes head on – the issues
The conferences will be held at JRS headquarters in Rome at 18.00 on 25 March, 15 April, 13 May and 10 June, and will cover the following issues:
- 'Illegals are dangerous and gypsies are all thieves', with addresses by speakers Angelo Caputo (Magistratura Democratica association) and Paolo Morozzo Della Rocca (Community of Sant'Egidio);
- 'Muslims are all terrorists', with an address by Elzir Ezzedine (imam from Florence)
- 'Africans don't have culture', with addresses by writers Ingy Mubiay Kekese and Jorge Canifa Alves; and
- 'But the TV says it as well!' with addresses by Gianni Riotta (Director of RAI news programme TG1), Gian Antonio Stella (editorialist for major newspaper Corriere della Sera) and Laura Boldrini (spokesperson for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).
The challenges
In a world in which information is constantly available to everyone, ignorance does not seem to be on the decrease. In fact, it can be found in the most unexpected places, hidden by the false impression of "knowing everything", or at least enough to give opinions. In a society of simple definitions and catchphrases, more complex issues are penalised from the start and can cause prejudice. The only effective way of dealing with these issues is to take enough time to understand them better, away from the argumentative debates which have become fashionable on television.
For further information contact JRS Italy: email astalli@jrs.net or telephone: +39 06 69925099
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