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Protest Letter to UNHCR and the Government of Malta |
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By Eritreans for Human and Democratic Rights - UK -
Oct 01, 2002
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London - 1 Oct 2002
We are writing to denounce the deportation of 55 Eritrean refugees on 30 Sep 2002 and another group of 50 on 1 Oct 2002 from Malta under most unusual circumstances.
These young men and women who fled Eritrea were victimised by the government to the point of losing hope and their will to live in Eritrea. They voiced their opinions that they were not ready to go to another war, and neither were they prepared to live under the yoke of servitude. They wanted to be free, live in peace and lead their own lives without any government interference. Unfortunately, that dream came to an end for 105 Eritreans in the last two days.
The Eritrean refugees, not only have they been betrayed by the Eritrean government, but by UNHCR and the government of Malta. UNHCR, failed to use the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention as its major tool, to ensure and observe the basic human rights of the Eritrean refugees in Malta. Although UNHCR claims that it stands against the involuntary return of refugees to a country where they face persecution, it failed to observe and endorse that principle in the case of the Eritrean citizens who fled their country and sought refuge in Malta. Malta, although a signatory of the Geneva Convention, also failed to abide by the spirits enshrined in the Geneva Convention.
The local UNHCR Office in Malta failed to recognise the anxiety and concerns that evolved out of misinformation, misrepresentation and miscommunication and sadly enough, allowed the Refugee Commission to exploit the confusion which eventually led to deportation.
· We strongly condemn the forceful deportation of our Eritrean brothers and sisters from Malta.
· We appeal to all Eritreans, friends of Eritrea, human rights activists, democratic and progressive groups to mobilise and send their protest letters to UNHCR and the Maltese Government with the aim of saving the rest of the Eritreans in Malta.
· We appeal to all concerned to contact the Embassy of Malta and register their denunciations on this unjust act.
· We also appeal to Red Cross, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Journalists and other Institutions to play an active and interventionist roles in ensuring the safety of those who have been deported.
EHDR-UK |
