New Times June 2014 by New Times

REFUGEES. REPORT. LIFE.

NEWTIMES JUNE 2014 > ISSUE # 90

INTERVIEW:

ALLAN OLSEN – “IN DENMARK THERE IS A NARROW MINDEDNESS AND RESISTANCE AGAINST NEWCOMERS. I FIND THAT STRANGE” PAGE 14

THINKING OF GOING HOME?

THE IMPORTANCE OF HOPE

FAIR ASYLUM FESTIVAL

A NEW COUNSELLING PROJECT IN RED CROSS OFFERS HELP TO REJECTED ASYLUM SEEKERS WHO WISH TO GO HOME

TRAGEDY CALLS FOR HOPE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE IT, YOU CAN DIE MENTALLY. IF YOU HAVE IT, YOU CAN SURVIVE THE BIGGEST STORMS. READ ASYLUM SEEKERS’ DIFFERENT STORIES

COPENHAGEN HOUSED A FESTIVAL DEMANDING FAIR ASYLUM

PAGE 17

PAGE 03–13

PAGE 18-19

DEAR READER In this magazine we focus on one of the most important qualities of the human being to master in a situation where he or she is depending on someone or something else to be able to start a new life: Hope. How do you keep up hope? What happens if you lose it? As you will see hopelessness can be a frightening enemy, that can crush people’s lives. But if you manage to keep up hope nothing can stop you. Imagine the strength needed being an asylum seeker with two children still caught back home in Syria and then finding out that you have cancer. What would you do? Give up? Read how Fedan tackles that gigan-

tic challenge without breaking down. And read about Zijada, who manages to stay afloat with a mentally sick husband and many other challenges. In this magazine you can also read about the mentally broken down guy that snapped and tried to kill another man in the asylum center. And about a rejected asylum seeker who started to take drugs to escape from the hopeless center life. In the tough, mind-wrecking world of the asylum system some people are broken down. Others make it. Why is that? Mainly because they keep up their hopes no matter what happens. But it can be a long road and you may have to have both

plan B and plan C ready to make it - in case you are rejected. Then what? Get married in Sweden? Go underground? Go home? A new project in Red Cross helps the ones who consider going home. Read about that too in this magazine. I hope for all those who are losing hope that they will find it again. And for the ones who still have it to be strong enough to keep believing and fighting.

HELP!

We need mountains bikes

We are many young people in Center Sandholm who like the sport of mountain bike cycling, but we have no bikes. Please, if you have a old mountain bike to give, you would make a young sportsman who can not pay the price of a mountain bike very happy. We call to your charitable hearts. God bless you.

If you have a bike, please contact Jens:

ASIG: ASIG (Asylum Seekers Information Group) answers questions about asylum and life as a refugee. Individuals, teachers, students, journalists and anyone interested in asylum matters is welcome to send an inquiry. To book the group for lectures, presentations and discussions contact newtimesdk@gmail.com

Note: Some of the journalists use their real names, but some use pseudonyms because they do not want their whereabouts known by people in their home countries.

Jens Omsorgsteamet / Center Sandholm Sandholmgårdsvej 40 3460 Birkerød Direkte: 3527 9918 jcu@redcross.dk

Robin Ali Ahrenkiel El-Tanany Editor

“Like” our Facebook page and get a message whenever we have updates on our web page. Search for our page by writing “teamnewtimes” (one word) in the search bar on Facebook.

“LIKE” US AND STAY UPDATED!

Photo: Shokria REFUGEES. REPORT. LIFE.

NEWTIMES Published by: The Danish Red Cross Editorial Office: New Times Red Cross House Rosenørns Allé 31, 2nd floor 1970 Frederiksberg Email: newtimesdk@gmail.com www.newtimes.dk Tel. +45 23 34 58 87 Editor in chief: Maja Kathrine Rettrup Mørch

New Times Journalists: Yolanda, Rohit, Makmoud, Sam, Rasha, Ismael, Robert, Ahmed, Billy Hydar, Kazhal, Sofia, Riham, Ahmed and Shokria Volunteers: Patricia Brander.

Layout: Jens Burau, supergreen.dk

Editor: Robin Ali Ahrenkiel El-Tanany

PAGE 2 | ISSUE # 90 | JUNE 2014 | NEW TIMES

Printed by: OTM Avistryk Distributed to: Asylum centres, Ministries, Members of the Danish Parliament, public libraries, asylum and human rights organizations, NGOs, media and individuals in Denmark and abroad. Subscription: Subscriptions are free. If you would like to subscribe to New Times send us an email at teamnewtimes@gmail.com and we will send it directly to your email inbox as soon as the next issue is out. If you would like to receive the magazine by post send us an email for details. You only pay the postage.

Support: We are a part of the Danish Red Cross adult education and training department and are supported by the Danish Institute for Study Abroad. We cooperate with the Danish Refugee Council and Amnesty International.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are those of the authors and the persons interviewed and not – unless stated clearly – the opinion of the Danish Red Cross.

“WHEN WE MEET REAL TRAGEDY IN LIFE, WE CAN REACT IN TWO WAYS - EITHER BY LOSING HOPE AND FALLING INTO SELF-DESTRUCTIVE HABITS, OR BY USING THE CHALLENGE TO FIND OUR INNER STRENGTH.”

– Dalai Lama

HOPE

Asylum seekers need hope. But how to keep it? And what happens if you lose it?

NEW TIMES | JUNE 2014 | ISSUE # 90 | PAGE 3

MANY THINGS TO HOPE FOR Fedan hopes that her two remaining children in Syria get out alive. But she also hopes to be granted asylum in Denmark and that the cancer in her body will disappear ❚ By: Riham Life is full of sadness and happiness, and it is also full of sweetness and bitterness. Usually people think that they have a hard life, but when we take a look at other peoples’ lives, we discover that we live in good situations compared to other people who lost their homes, children, organs, and souls. Coming from Syria myself, I have a variety of stories about people who paid with their lives to get freedom. But one of the stories that impacted me the most is a story about a woman who came from Syria during the war. She is a married woman and has three children. While taking care of her family, she also suffers from cancer. Despite this, she is looking for a way to give her family a comfortable and secure lifestyle. I met her in her room in asylum center Auderød when she returned to the center after her treatment in Hospital. Her room is a normal asylum center room. The only difference is the action figures which belong to her fouteen-year-old son. This is the story she told me:

FORCED OUT

“My name is Fadan Mohammad. I am from Aleppo in Syria. I came to Denmark with my husband and my child who is fourteen years old. In Syria, I was a housewife and spent whole my life caring for my children and husband. My husband had a job, we had our own house, our economic situation was good and we had never thought to leave our country. However, when the war started, everything was destroyed. My husband lost his job because armed gangs tried to force my husband to engage in their terrorist activities. Thus our lives were at risk, we were forced to leave Syria to go some place where we could start a new life safely, and build a new future for my children peacefully.

ESCAPE FROM DEATH

Indeed, destiny wanted us to settle down in Slovakia. In the beginning of our suffering, my husband traveled to Slovakia before us because he was facing death threats. After about four months, my son and I were compelled to depart Syria after

“My simple dream is to guarantee a safe life for my children and to give them the opportunity to complete the education, that they were deprived of in Syria”. (Photo: Billy Hydar) we had sold all our owned properties. However, because of lack of money I was obliged to keep my daughters who are seventeen and sixteen years old with my relatives in Syria in hopes of reuniting again after obtaining residence in Slovakia. However, when I followed my husband to Slovakia the government refused to give us the right to residency.

ROSY DREAMS

In Slovakia, I began to feel exhausted, but I did not know I was sick. I went to doctors where medical tests and doctors revealed that there was nothing to worry about. Because of the challenging situation in Slovakia, especially the refusal of residency, we left for Denmark. We had heard a lot about Denmark, specifically about its humanism and care for refugees. We arrived in July, 12, 2013 and I cannot describe my happiness, which had risen to the point where I felt like I had been reborn. My first

PAGE 4 | ISSUE # 90 | JUNE 2014 | NEW TIMES

aim was to live with the great and humanitarian people of Denmark. Then, my dream grew to obtain the residence permit, in order to see my daughters again and to live in a warm house away from the war. My simple dream is to guarantee a safe life for my children and to give the opportunity to complete their education, that they were deprived of in Syria.

DISAPPOINTMENT

When I completed the meeting to get the residence permit, however, I was surprised that I had fingerprints from Slovakia. Thus, I had to return to Slovakia due to the Dublin regulation. During this period in Denmark, I began to feel extreme physical pain, so I repeated my medical exams. I was shocked when I tested positive for cancer. My children in Syria should not know that I was diagnosed with cancer. I received surgery and started to take strong medicine and am now treated with radiotherapy.

DUBLIN CONVENTION This Regulation establishes the principle that only one Member State is responsible for examining an asylum application. If one enters an european country, he cannot seek asylum at a different european country, because he will be sent back to the country he entered through. The convention was enacted in 2003.

RAY OF HOPE

In addition, in the case of the Danish governments’ sympathy with me, they chose to reopen my file and think carefully about my situation. When I heard that, I felt hope growing, and my dreams of a reunion with my family also started growing. Furthermore, this hope encouraged and recharged me with a lot of strength and will; because my suffering would never end, unless I felt full of quietude and safety.

BROKEN DREAM

If the Danish government refused to give me the right to residency, I would be forced to

go back to Syria and die on the soil of my native country. I came to Denmark with a lot of hope to draw a new future for my family without looking at our painful past. Therefore, I appeal to the Danish government and ask them to look at the refugees’ situations humanely, because sometimes the laws and conventions restrict their humanity. Working with people in a humanitarian way is more beautiful than working with them by laws and legal actions. Indeed, there is no difference between death by an explosive barrel in Syria and death by depression and pain from my disease. The only difference is that death by an explosive barrel is faster.

FROM ASYLUM SEEKER TO DRUG SEEKER Why do some asylum seekers start using drugs? To find out, I interviewed Karim, a rejected asylum seeker from Syria, who has been taking drugs for the past two years ❚❚By: Ismael Some people in Sandholm, where I live, are taking hard drugs. I think, taking refuge in drugs is a very bad idea. To me, it is comparable to someone committing suicide to escape the problems of their life. I went to explore one of the people who have been caught by the drug. His name is Karim, and he invited me to go to his room. His room had a strong smell. It smelled terrible. The floor was dirty, the room wasn’t tidy, the dishes were laying dirty on the table. I was thinking that this man has lost the good will to do anything besides doing drugs. Why and how did you begin to take drugs ? It was after I got my request of asylum rejected more than two years ago. I despaired of

everything and of all the people I knew. I lost all my hope. I began to drink a lot of beer, to smoke hashish every day. After some time I started to mix alcohol with sleeping pills and painkillers and now I also use hard drugs such as heroin. How do you get the drug? I buy it from people who sell drugs: the dealers. How do you pay for this drug, I think it’s expensive? I was obliged to steal many things in the supermarkets and in the shops and I sold them to pay for my drug habits. Do you continue to steal for drug? Yes, I do. When you steal in the supermarket or in other places, aren’t you afraid? I’m afraid because I have been

in prison many times; in Vestre, Blegdammen and other prisons but the withdrawal symptoms push me to steal because I have become addicted. Do you want to stop your drug abuse? Yes I want to stop taking this poison that is destroying my health and my life slowly but surely. Why don’t you stop now? It’s difficult to stop in Sandholm because I have no hope for this kind of life. I want to forget that I’m living in Sandholm and this drug helps me stop thinking about my life, about my country, about all my problems. Do you mean that you escape from the sandholm when you take the drug ? Yes, it’s a kind of escape from Sandholm.

FACT Karim is not his real name. His real name is known to New Times.

If you get asylum and you leave the Sandholm center, would that help you stop abusing drugs? Of course. If I leave Sandholm, my hope will return and I can fight to stop the drug cravings and gain other good habits. Karim is dying slowly and surely, I am afraid.

Karim is dying slowly and surely, I am afraid. Photo: Urban Seed Education / cc

NEW TIMES | JUNE 2014 | ISSUE # 90 | PAGE 5

THE PSYCHOLOGIST: “WITHOUT HOPE YOU WILL DIE” Why is hope important for human beings generally and us, asylum seekers in particular? Marjan Shahmir, an experienced psychologist for the Danish Red Cross, gives an answer

❚ By: Billy Hydar Being a psychologist herself where she examines asylum seekers through their time in Denmark, I asked Marjan Shahmir how important hope is considered for human beings and where it origins from. “You have to have hope, because without hope a person will die, not physically, but mentally”, she says. “The asylum seekers come to Denmark with nothing but themselves. They have lost big parts of their identity. They have lost their jobs, homes and

network. They are feeling insecure about the future, they suddenly have to share rooms with strangers. They have limited rights in a foreign country, in foreign culture. And they know that if they are granted asylum they have to start their lives all over again. Because of this many asylum seekers have big existential problems and often develop depressions and severe anxiety,” she explains.

ASYLUM SEEKER HERSELF

When I asked Marjan Shahmir, of the ways people reach for

hope and de-stress, the answer comes with a deep sigh: “I was an asylum seeker myself, 20 years ago. I lived in a camp where I’ve seen everything and dealt with all sorts of feelings, but I was lucky to have my answer after four weeks. But what is important is to keep yourself busy with something. Not because it necessarily will make you feel better, but because you are very likely to feel worse if you sit idle. Do exercise. Visit libraries. Go to school and learn something. Even though you are not sure

whether you will get asylum, the social part of going to school is good for you”, she explains.

HOPE

“Hope depends on the perspectives of the person him- or herself. According to the psychoanalysis we are born to cover our needs, and the most important part is to reach inner and outer satisfaction”, she adds. People manage their feelings and attitudes differently. Some of them lose hope and go for excessive usage of alcohol, drugs or even robbery. “But it is

not excused”, Marjan Shahmir says. “Handling stress in the best way is to be patient. Then you will be able to wait and think out of the pain”, she says.

FROM HONEYMOON TO HOPELESSNESS Tone Olaf Nielsen has been working in the Trampoline House - a culture house for asylum seekers - since it was established four years ago. She has noticed a common development in the asylum seekers’ state of mind

❚ By:Yolanda “Many asylum seekers has told me that the first month after arriving in Denmark, feels like a honeymoon”, Tone Olaf Nielsen says. “They are happy. Their long journey has ended and they feel safe and hopeful. They are full of positive energy and enthusiasm and want to be useful. According to their abilities, many of them engage in voluntary work, as teachers in languages, sports, joga, dancing and many other activities”, she explains.

LOSING HOPE

But after a little year asylum seekers change mood. Very

PAGE 6 | ISSUE # 90 | JUNE 2014 | NEW TIMES

often extremely. They become passive and silent. “Living in the asylum centers and forced to wait for a long time for the interview in Immigration Service and then for the response on their asylum application, take their strength and hope. After ten or eleven months they lose hope. Most of them get mentally and physically sick. Some of them find solace in drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. Some are aggressive, some just stay in the room and don’t want any contact”, Tone Olaf Nielsen says. “We advise them to go out of the center, to go to school, to stay with friends and to come to places like the Trampoline

House, where they can participate in activities”, she says.

REJECTED

The hardest time for asylum seekers is receiving rejection for asylum. Some get depressed. It is like Hamlet’s question:” To be or not to be?”. “We try and help the rejected asylum seekers with legal advice and warm human support”, Tone Olaf Nielsen says.

THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF HOPE ON THE ASYLUM ROAD Our team member, Sam, has experienced the roller coaster ride of hope through the Danish asylum system. He has been rejected and is now clinging his own hopes to a complaint filed to the European Court of Human Rights. Here he shares his experience on the road of hope II I. APPLYIN G AN D EXPLOFOR ASYLU M COU NTRY. R ING TH E (HOPE) At

❚ By: Sam

ESCAPING FROM DEATH. (NO HOPE)

It’s always a huge risk to escape from your country risking that you could get caught and killed from the group or authorities you are escaping from. and not everyone can take such decision and mostly they are forced to do it just to save their own lives.

II. REACHI NG A SAFE COU NTRY. (HOPE)

After a long, stressing and scary journey you end up in a safe country by being lucky enough to reach your original destination or being caught somewhere in the middle which is still safe for your life.

SIDE TH E TIVITY IN IV. N EGAPS. (NO HOPE) are full CAM t camps

ergy ct tha It’s a fa s of negative en ple d o e in P k . e ll agin of a an can im world have m u h y n a over the wait from all ping death and nge a a been esc ion that will ch nd e is s c r e o d good for a ole life to face death h w ir e to th ck home them ba thieves again. lso some ho are a re a There und w inals aro innoand crim d stealing from the n a e scaring d outsid sing side an s cents in is is very stre ng. o Th tr . s s y p ll m ta a c men re a u o y s unles

VII. GETTING A LAWYER. (HOPE)

TIME TO GET INTEGRATED INTO SOCIETY. (HOPE)

Seeing other asylum seekers going to school and trainings in the city and the excitement after exploring the city and culture motivates everyone to get more integrated into the society to be a part of it quickly after - hopefully - to be granted asylum. So they go to the Job centers in the asylum centers to sign contracts for trainings and to study the language in schools.

Before the court you get a lawyer so you finally feel that you are not fighting alone and you have a professional by your side to help you. But after your first interview with the lawyer you find out that he or she will only meet you one more time for 4-5 hours to discuss your case. Apart from that it is difficult to get in contact with your lawyer as they are always busy with many other cases. Lawyers in countries where asylum seekers come from are not the same. Here lawyers can be contacted personally - not via a reluctant secretary - at any time.

this poin t many seekers a re surprise asylum d of the warm we lco first apply ming when they for asylum .T like they a re really sa hey feel fe and wil finally be l treated lik e humans. Then they st a rt to ex city close to their ca plore the mp and it is natural to know more become excited to a - especially bout it. In the cities in Copenh agen - you can see all sorts of fr eedom in everything a most asylu round you which m in their ow seekers are missing n countries. Just to feel this freedo m and relax th is enough to satisfy em menta lly.

VI. AF TE R TH E FIRST PE) REJECTION. (NO HO

after the Everything changes Immigrathe first rejection by to wake rt sta You e. tion Servic u have yo up from the dream weeks t las the for been living in fear to gin be d an s nth or mo to rt sta You . ain for your life ag gane the by re mo ed get affect rejected tive energy from other that say ey Th s. ker asylum see to re the t the system is not pu u yo of rid get to t protect you bu ey tell Th . ble ssi po as n as soo you can to you to lie as much as rt. cou the in ted ep get acc

POSITIVE REPLY FROM REFUGEE APPEALS BOARD

Congratulations. Your hope carried you through.

NEGATIVE REPLY FROM REFUGEE APPEALS BOARD

Sorry. You have to find new hope in a plan B now.

NEW TIMES | JUNE 2014 | ISSUE # 90 | PAGE 7

VOX POP BEFORE AFTER On a sunny Thursday, Hicham Wael and I went to Assistens graveyard in Copenhagen to look for Danes who would like to experience a coffee cup reading. ❚ By: Billy Hydar

FORTUNE TELLER OFFERS HOPE ❚ By: Billy Hydar

Name: Fergel Occupation: Unemployed / freelancer in production Before coffee reading Do you have interest in coffee reading and similar activities? I am generally a very open minded person who always look for something new. I never tried coffee reading before, but I am becoming interested in the meanings of dreams, after reading books about it. Why did you want to have your coffee read ? Curiosity. After What’s your impression after hearing what your cup had for you? It is very intense, because he reaches almost some references of my life, but it was also a bit general, like mentioning events that could happen for anyone. But the astonishing part was about a girl who likes me and whom I like. He mentioned her and even said - correctly - that she has large-sized breasts!

PAGE 8 | ISSUE # 90 | JUNE 2014 | NEW TIMES

I first became acquainted with the fortune teller in Dianalund, after finishing a jogging session through the forest close to the asylum center where I live. We all came back, rested, and began drinking coffee together. With a sense of confidence, one of the joggers revealed that he has a significant ability to read and examine events that have unfolded and that he can see incidents that have not yet happened. We were all feeling skeptical, yet we were curious and desired to learn more. Hicham Wael, often known as Abo Maha by his friends, believes that coffee reading is an experience that a person can gain from regardless of the good or bad fortunes it predicts. I decided to investigate further into his abilities by interviewing him the day after.

HIS WORDS

I met with Hicham Wael at Red Cross’ “café hus” in Dianalund. He goes to language school in the nearby buildings and is also volunteering as translator in the Red Cross job center. But now he was here as

When I finish a reading, the asylum seeker always feel better and not worried, says Hicham Wael. a fortune teller. We sat down together at a round table, while some Arabian coffee was being prepared and he approached a girl who is also an asylum seeker. “Would you like me to read in your coffee cup?” He asked her, in his calm voice. She agreed. Afterwards she said that his reading had been very true and that she now felt relaxed somehow. And then, the interview began.

How can you foresee the future in a coffee cup? The coffee cup leads me and I start reading the lines, the drawings and the black and white contrasts in it. It is a state of looking at a mirror when a person is not able to see it until he knows about it. How did you discover your abilities? It first started during a family visit at home, on the coffee table,

“Only in the darkness you can see the stars”, Martin Luther King Jr stated to his people, and here comes a man who can see your stars, in your coffee cup, while you’re in the darkness

Name: Lia Occupation: Unemployed/ freelance photographer Before coffee reading Do you have interest in coffee reading and similar activities? I’ve heard about the chinese tea leaf reading, but not this, and I am person who is considered a believer to some extend. I read the holy Torah, because I can feel the hope it creates in me. Why did you want to have your coffee read ? I think it is mostly for fun, nothing more. After What’s your impression after hearing what your cup had for you? It is very interesting, but he said something about my family being rich, which they are not and that I have a sister, which I do not have either. At the beginning it gave me a feeling of ridiculousness, but later I had second thoughts when he told me about someone in my life who has something like a turban on the head, and it is my best friend he was talking about who has a long dreadlocks and often keeps them off her head! He also said that we are very close which is very true.

I read for this woman in her cup, and that was it. But later on that week, she came to me, feeling very happy since what I had told her had happened. I like the feeling of making people happy by what I see. Have you ever get paid for coffee reading? I have never done it in order to get anything back, but a couple of friends rewarded me once for getting what they wanted after me reading it to them in the cup. They gave me a chocolate box and a phone recharge card. Why do you read in the coffee cup? It is a matter of advising people to be patient and to keep their hopes up and never lose their positivity. People seek me to find something they want to do in their lives, and it is not just regular advice coming from a friend. Advice and spirituality is not the same. I am a big believer in my religion myself (when asked about his religion, he only stated that it is a very small sect in the world) I know TASSOLOGY Tassology is the word for fortune telling with coffee or tea leaf reading. It originated in China and the art later spread to the arab world where it is a well known phenomena today. According to the famous Turkish fortune coffee reader, Deniz Clairvoyant, the ancient art of coffee cup reading has been practiced for thousands of years in the Middle East.

in my heart that this is a gift from God. Sometimes when I have read in a coffee cup I see that the person feels relaxed, happy and relieved for knowing what they wanted to know about.

and work on improving them. Happiness can come from the bad and in this way I want to bring positivity. When a cup has death or is very dark, I ask to cancel the reading and to do it another day when it is brighter and better.

What do you say when the future looks bad? Even though there are things which are not always happy, I try to say it in a way that the person can understand. The person can then discover these things in his life or in himself

How effective has it been among the asylum seekers? The asylum seekers whose coffee I read feel hopeless and sad when they come to me. When we finish they feel better and not worried. The reading helps in one way or another and

they can move on and make a decision wisely. Does it affect your life as an asylum seeker? We all live in stressful times where we do not know what is going to happen and I am one of these people. It actually gives me a feeling of being a psychologist, advisor and a friend. I need hope as much as the other asylum seekers do, and I get it from the interaction with them by doing what I am good at.

WHAT DOES THE PSYCHOLOGISTS SAY ABOUT TASSOLOGY? Red Cross psychologist Marjan Shahmir says: “Academically speaking we consider it nonexistent, but on the other hand we do state an effect on people after having their sessions. Giving people some guidelines and something to believe in can be a source of hope.

HICHAM WAEL’S OWN STORY Having spent his entire life, 28 years, in his home country Iraq, he had to face the political changes. There were many consequences from the U.S. army invasion and occupation since the beginning of Saddam’s surrender. He worked as a freelance journalist for different Iraqi newspapers and in addition to that he was working as field translator for the U.S military services translating between English to Arabic. Due to the nature of the occupation he was challenged by the opposition parties, facing dangerous conditions where he was even being tracked at one point in order to take him down. A bomb was also planted in his house before he decided to flee.

NEW TIMES | JUNE 2014 | ISSUE # 90 | PAGE 9

POINTLESS VIOLENCE ❚❚By: Makmoud Hameed’s life was threatened a few months ago when he was the victim of a random act of violence in the Sandholm asylum center. He is a 28-yearold Afghan man who is seeking asylum in Denmark. Hoping to establish a new life, he has been living in the asylum center for the past two years. He was a farmer in Afghanistan and had never finished his formal education. Hameed is currently training to be a professional kick boxer.

THE DRAMA

On Sunday, September 29, Hameed was in one of the Sandholm rooms visiting an Afghan family of three that he had befriended (a mother and her two teenage daughters of 14 and seven years of age) Hameed explained the terror of what happened next: “Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. A man barged into the room and placed his hand over my eyes and plunged a

Different degrees of violence in asylum centers occur, this incident was almost fatal, if it had happened in afghanistan the victim would have died certainly

knife into my throat. I was in shock. It was only when the attacker began stabbing me in the head that I realized what was happening. There was a bed opposite me and I threw the attacker off of me and onto the bed as I was trying to stop the stabbing. I put my legs on his stomach as he fought back. As I was working to overpower him, he still had the knife in his hand and stabs me under my arm. I could not believe what was happening. I asked my attacker, “Why are you doing this?” and his only reply was: “I want to kill you.” While all of this is happening, the family that Hameed had been visiting scream out in terror which causes people to rush to the room. One of them took the knife from his hand. The attacker is subdued and Hameed, bleeding terribly, is moved into a neighboring room. I was one of the people that heard the screams and I witnessed everything that happened after the stabbing. I gave Hameed a clean towel to hold

WHERE DO THE CONFLICTS OCCUR? In Sandholm asylum center, the majority of conflicts happen in the cafeteria. The staff and cafeteria staff are well prepared for these incidents and equipped with alarms. Help (manpower) arrives very quickly. I have lived in Sandholm for sometime. I have seen so many conflicts. My advice to asylum seekers in such situations is to step aside and listen to the staff and make way for the staff to take control. Also, police is very close in Sandholm center.

against his cut throat and told him not to move.

REVIVING THE DEAD TO LIFE

Emergency services came and the police take Hameed’s attacker to jail as Hameed is placed in an ambulance and taken to hospital. In the ambulance, Hameed was very close to death. He almost dies from the traumatic blood loss but they are able to revive him. He had four knife stabs. One in the throat, one on the forehead in the hair mass, one on the left side of the skull just above the tip of the left ear and the last one in the torso under the armpit. He was treated in the hospital and stayed two days and one night and then had a very long recovery. He had to keep his movements limited and he could not do his normal boxing training. He still suffers from shoulder and arm pain and worries about how his injuries might affect his future.

SNAP TO VIOLENCE

Different people have different

FACT ❚❚ The total number of conflicts in Sandholm center in the last quarter of 2013 is 50. ❚❚ Material damage: 3 ❚❚ Threats between residents: 1 ❚❚ Conflicts between residents: 5 ❚❚ Threats against staff: 9 ❚❚ Violence against staff: 3 ❚❚ Disturbance and harassment between people: 2 ❚❚ Self inflicted damage (suicide or attempts): 1 ❚❚ Bad behavior: 26

PAGE 10 | ISSUE # 90 | JUNE 2014 | NEW TIMES

mentality. Some, when leaving war zones, are not easy to rehabilitate and have hard times forgetting the war and struggle with normal life. The attacker was a Mujahadeen fighting against the Soviets during their invasion of Afghanistan since he was a teenager. Adding to that he has been in Denmark for three years and has been rejected asylum. It may be out of hopelessness that he snapped to violence.

SUSPICIOUS AND WORRIED

Hameed’s attacker was finally sentenced in court on March 10th and was found to be mentally unstable. He has been committed to a mental institution. Hameed is worried that the attacker will seek him after treatment and jail. Hameed does not know why this man attacked him so violently. The attacker was an older Afghan man 48 years of age. He had a wife and children back in Afghanistan. Hameed and his attacker had met each other before, but they were cer-

tainly not friends. They were just two acquaintances with a common home country. Yet, this man snapped and in a violent rage almost claimed the life of Hameed. (It has not been possible to hear the story from the attacker to hear his version of the accident). FACT The name of the victim is not his real name. The real name is known to New Times.

“I could not believe what was happening. I asked my attacker, “Why are you doing this?” and his only reply was: “I want to kill you.” (Arranged Photo: Ahmed)

“WE HAVE ZERO TOLERANCE FOR VIOLENCE IN SANDHOLM” The head of Sandholm center, Michael Ehrenfels, explains the measures taken by the management to treat and minimise conflicts

THE WAVE OF ASYLUM SEEKER’S HOPE How does hope survive in asylum seekers hearts? We asked three asylum seekers the following questions:

I. What were your hopes for the future before fleeing from your country? II. What made you lose hope of being able to continue your life in your country? III. How did it affect your hope when you reached Denmark? IV. You got rejected. How did it affect your hope? V. Where are your hopes now?

Sabirin, 21 years old, from Somalia.

Mohammed Hafidh, 26 years old, from Sudan.

Ridwan Ali, 23 years old, from Somalia

I finished high school in Somalia, and my hope was to be a doctor. I still hope that. We were four siblings, two girls, two boys. My parents always said we would reach our dreams.

II. I ran away because AlShabaab wanted to force me to marry one of their soldiers. I left my country to get away. There is no security in Somalia to protect girls from this. ❚ By Makmoud What measures do you take to prevent conflicts and violence in the center? ”We have zero tolerance for violent behavior and criminal activities. If residents or staff are threatened we contact police immediately and there are two policemen working here daily. Residents can contact them directly or through us. Also all staff members are educated to deal with different types of conflicts. We also consult with the Residents Board - a board of residents’ representatives in the center - to get a better feeling of what kind of conflicts are going on inside the rooms or in other places where the staff are not present. These conflicts could be about religion, faith, sexual orientation or something else. The board assists us in knowing what happens behind the scene. For the past year and a half, we have also had two members of staff going around the center to show themselves and ask people how they are and to tell the outsiders that are not welcome to leave the center. Do you organize asylum seekers according to their lingual, ethnic and cultural background?

“Yes, we do. We place people with similar ethnic background, religion and similar ways of eating and living. But sometimes there are ethnic problems within smaller groups, so we have a policy that says that if people come and tell us that they want to be in a different room it should be possible” You currently do many things to prevent violence, yet violence and conflicts still occur? Have you considered doing more? “The Red Cross is doing a lot of good things. Especially for children and families. But you can always improve things. I would like a center with more small rooms so that two single people can share a room instead of four people sharing one as it is now. Because most conflicts are between single people. It would also be good to have single rooms for people who have to stay for a long time in the center and to have extra space for the psychologically insecure residents. But the best prevention would be if the residents started to use Red Cross staff as conflict mentors on a bigger scale than today. I think that dialog between rival individuals or rival groups with the help of Red Cross staff will help solve many domestic and religious conflicts”.

III. I went to Sweden and I really felt safe, more hopeful and I was thinking “your dream is coming true now”. IV. I was rejected asylum in Sweden and my hope diminished. After that my hope continued to fluctuate. One day the school did not permit me to continue attending. I felt so discouraged. I decided to leave the country. After a few days I came to Denmark, when I came my hope was almost nonexistent, but now it’s increased because my local jobcentre called me. They said I was going to school next week and I got strength when I sat inside the class. My hope right now has increased significantly.

When I was in Sudan my hope was up. My dream was to become a mechanic. It still is. I loved cars and machines when I was a child. But the owners of the garages and the teachers only give lessons and work to friends or family. If they don’t know you it’s difficult to find a way to get into the trade.

II. There are so many conflicts. People are killed because of tribalism. Different groups in Sudan are in opposition to the government, and they are killing by principle. III. I felt safe when I came here. My hope has always been strong. IV. I got rejected but it did not affect my hope. I will be patient and will wait on my time. I’m just thinking about my son’s future. He is seven years old and lives in Sudan. His mother died two months after his birth. V. My hope right now is high. My hope never changed, and I know that I will be a mechanic one day.

My hope was to become a nurse. When I was teenager I was interested in helping people with no access to medical assistance, but I didn’t know how to start. Also, the training to become a health worker in Somalia is very expensive.

II. I was walking dangerous roads everyday and I didn’t know if I would come back or not because of the war. Sometimes there were explosions throughout all the day. The government accused innocent people of being affiliated with Al-shabaab and Alshabaab accused you of being a government spy. It was very dangerous. III. After coming to Denmark, I felt safe and I was thinking “you will reach your dreams.” I finished the interviews with the police and the Immigration Service, and I was going to school and waited to hear the answer for my case. IV. When my case was rejected I felt sad for several months. V. After several months I got a message from the Refugee Board saying they were going to look at my case again. Now I’m waiting to hear from them. I got strength from this and my hope returned. If I get asylum I will have many opportunities here, and I still wish to become a nurse.

NEW TIMES | JUNE 2014 | ISSUE # 90 | PAGE 11

“MY FAMILY HELPS ME KEEP UP HOPE” In the past few years losing hope and regaining it was part of the asylum seeking Fejsic family’s life. This is the mother’s story of how they fell and pulled themselves up again

The family Fejsic has been refused humanitarian permission to stay in Denmark. Now they wait for their appeal case. (Photo: Yolanda)

her voice trembled as she spoke. “It was as if all my family fell into a dark hole from which we cannot come out of. We reached the bottom, under which there is nothing. There is no solution. Only death is the answer, but it does not come when called.” Her hands are shaking while wiping her tears. To make matters worse, her health was compromised in Denmark too, and she had a serious surgery.

❚ By: Yolanda Zijada Fejsic is a 42-year-old woman from Bosnia and Herzegovina. We met her for an interview about how hope has survived in her family, despite the hard cards they have been dealt by fate for the last years. How did your family’s disaster start? “We used to live a normal family life. My husband, Himzo and I used to work in our small trade shop, while our two sons went to school. But some years ago everything changed. My husband’s health worsened and the medicine he used wasn’t helping him any more.” Zijada’s husband was found to be suffering from a very serious illness, psychosis. Public health institutions could not provide satisfactory therapy, and after several unsuccessful attempts seeking help from private doctors, the whole family lost hope. Illness, grief and the fear of tomorrow became their daily life.” How did you feel as the wife and the mother? “Completely hopeless and helpless”she replies, shaking head and tightening her face.” Both, for my husband and my children. It was very hard to look at him suffering and to see how it affected our two sons. They were listless, uninterested in anything, withdrawn into themselves. Being aware of the impossibility

to help your own family, the ones most loved, is very difficult.” But the proverb that says that one misfortune comes in threes, was confirmed. Zijada herself got a serious disease, Thyroid, and had a complicated surgery. After the surgery she felt like she had to make a final decision. It was as if a drowning man caught a straw. She had to rescue her family from complete disaster. When living with a family member who is a psychiatric patient, who doesn’t sleep for whole nights, who is very nervous and disturbs all around, these unnatural conditions became the habitat for the family. This made her worry that the kids could also get some mental problems, as these

PAGE 12 | ISSUE # 90 | JUNE 2014 | NEW TIMES

diseases can be inherited. She made up her mind and decided to leave the country to seek salvation. They arrived in Denmark in 2012. Did your hope return in Denmark? “Yes,the hope returned in our lives.The doctors in Denmark considered my husband’s sickness a very serious one and helped him acquire adequate medical treatment. We could notice progress. After a long time he could sleep and so could the rest of the family. The duration of his everyday nervousness was reduced, and I could see some smiles on my childrens’ faces again. Now the older one, 16-year-old Almedin, attends the tenth grade

of Danish school and the younger one, 12-year-old Almin, attends the fourth grade of Danish primary school. Both of them are doing very well.We thought we finally left hopelessness behind us and that we revert back to normal life.” The family Fejsic applied for humanitarian permission to stay in Denmark advocating for the treatment of their sick family member, which is impossible in their country of origin. But life for them, was once again, not so easy. The Ministry of Justice refused their request. How did you react on this rejection? Her eyes filled with tears and

What is your situation now? “We now hope that the Ministry of Justice has all the relevant reports and that my husband will have the possibility of continuous treatment. Then my children and me would have a normal life. I would work and my sons would continue their education.” The eyes sparkled by the hope in her words. A smile, while mentioning her children, lit up her face. Where do you find the strength for this long struggle? “In my family. My husband and my children are all that I have.”

SCHOOLS BOOST VITAL HOPE AMONG ASYLUM SEEKERS

The response of both students and teachers in an asylum center shows that schools play an important role in keeping the hope high among asylum seekers in Denmark Gert Kristensen, Principal. I.

Yes, I do think so. I think it is always good for people to educate themselves. It is very important for asylum seekers to have a good schedule and structure of their daily life and the school helps them with that. II. We arrange some extra-curricular activities. We arrange short tours to a few important surrounding places. We also have colleagues here in the region who arrange short term courses like sewing, kitchen hygiene, cycle repairing, honey bee culturing etc.

❚ By Rohit According to an ancient Indian saying “one can live without food one month, without water one week, and without breath several minutes, but one cannot live even a single moment without hope”. To pursue the phenomenon of hope among asylum seekers in Denmark, we visited the Red Cross school for asylum seekers in Dianalund. The school takes in students from center Avnstrup, Dianalund, Ringsted and Vipperød. We asked both staff of the school and student asylum seekers two questions: I.

Do you think that schools play a vital role to boost a positive attitude and hope among asylum seekers? II. What are your personal efforts to create hope?

Marianne Briand, English Teacher. I.

I think it does, it provides the students something meaningful while they are waiting for an answer for their asylum case and keep them busy in a positive manner. II. As a teacher, I always try to create a positive atmosphere by making them feel welcome. Apart from teaching in the class we arrange short tours. A few days ago we went to an art museum in Copenhagen and I can see how these trips also help raise a sense of positive hope among them.

Mohammad Naushad Ali student, Center Avnstrup. I.

Yasir Abdinasir, Studying Danish Language, Center Vipperød. Yes, this school is very nice. I always feel very positive here in the school and I’m looking forward to go to high school after completing this school. II. Well, I am a boxer and I spend most of my time in training and practicing boxing. Last week I participated in an inter center boxing event. I am looking forward to be a professional boxer and to higher education.

Yes it is always nice to attend the school and to do something positive. II. I cannot do anything individually in center Avnstrup to help myself avoid frustration. Because the most important thing for me in my daily life is to communicate with my family in my home country via internet and we don’t have any internet access in Avnstrup.

WANT TO JOIN SCHOOL TOO? New asylum seekers who wish to go to school can contact the jobcentre in the respective asylum centers. The Job center will get you enrolled in the school.

NEW TIMES | JUNE 2014 | ISSUE # 90 | PAGE 13

A SONG ABOUT THE DANES’ HOSPITALITY One of the biggest singer-songwriters in Denmark, Allan Olsen, explains why he felt an urge to criticize the way the Danes welcomed the foreigners and refugees 18 years ago. And how it has only changed to the worse ❚❚By: Robin Ali Ahrenkiel El-Tanany 18 years ago - around the same time when this magazine was founded - the popular Danish singer-songwriter, Allan Olsen, was told by his

record company to make an extra song for his new album, because they wanted a “radio friendly” song to be included on his new album. To boost sales. Being a bit annoyed with this order from the record company he decided that the lyrics for

PAGE 14 | ISSUE # 90 | JUNE 2014 | NEW TIMES

this song should not be radio friendly. “So I decided that this song should be about how Danes are welcoming foreigners and refugees”, he tells New Times, with a subtle smile in his voice, revealing his pleasure of frightening the boys in the market-

ing department of the record company. In the song Allan Olsen sings about how the Danes should reach their hands out to people from war and how they should fight back against the little - but growing - group of “idiots with racist tendencies”.

Generally there is a coldness and reluctance to accept foreigners in this small country up north with an average yearly income per person of almost 70.000 USD . “Everywhere I have travelled I have been greeted with a “Hello, friend. Where do you

THE SONG Wir will ein Denmark (Translation: Patricia) I have enjoyed the luxury of travelling through poverty en mass from the Ganges to Vesterbro slums, in my own kind of way from Chieng Mai to Bombay ‘s decline, to the poorest beggar in Rome the only shouts that followed me: “ hello friend where you from ?” I turn on my TV and see the world I know on fire and say to myself: my God we can afford a helping hand. Lost fathers, lost mothers, lost kids like fragile glass look in from the cold and beg for a little space It is O.K. with me and I know it’s O.K. with you who of us should judge? Go ahead. Point.

come from?”. The poorer people are, the more friendly they are. In Denmark there is a narrow mindedness and resistance against newcomers. I find it strange, as we are one of the richest countries in the world and we have no problems taking care of ourselves.

Has the Danes’ welcoming of foreigners and refugees changed since you wrote this song almost 20 years ago? Yes. Definitely. The culture has developed in a way that certainly does not help the newcomers. Many Danes are now more than fully occupied with themselves. We have left behind a culture with a DNA of social democratism in favor of a more individualistic and liberal one. Luckily, I was brought up in a seafaring town among sailors and truck drivers. They are normally very relaxed towards foreigners because they are travelling a lot themselves. The more you travel and witness the surrounding world the more relaxed you are towards people coming here. I think, the unfortunate development in the Danish culture has happened because the Danes are not travelling very much - mentally or physically from the place where they are. At least not to a place much different. In my opinion you should skip the foolish obligatory military service for all 18-20-year-olds and replace it with an obligatory stay for 9 or 10 months in a third world country doing something useful. That would show them that we are not that different. That we all belong to the same global people. How do you think the Danish hospitality will be like 20 years from now? I think the sense of absolute powerfulness and selfish liberalism we are now witnessing will be broken by the next generation. The shields we have put up around us will not be able to hold. Because no matter what we do and what we want, the world’s population is turning more and more into one global people, and there will be bigger and bigger population movements because of climate change and the shifting of cultural and financial power. You have seen it through history time and time again. All the big empires that have been dominating for 100-200 years have

The debate in Denmark is often out of proportion. Photo: Morten Rygaard

fallen and turned into something secondary. The Roman Empire fell. The Inca Empire fell. The Greek Empire fell. Maybe the financial crisis we are experiencing now is the beginning of the end for us. And maybe, in 10-20 years, the BRIC-countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China, ED) will be the dominating powers of the world and the Danes may be the ones who migrate and seek outwards. In these times of financial crisis, can the Danes still afford to help, as your 18-year-old song tells them to do? Yes. It is not a question about whether we can afford it or not. It is a question about whether we want to show a certain level of decency in the way that we live, and it is about how we prioritize the resources we have at hand. We do not have to close hospitals in Denmark because we support the building of schools in Zimbabwe for instance. The debate in Denmark is often out of proportion. Read an extra interview with Allan Olsen about roots, local dialect and Paul McCartney on our webpage: www.newtimes.dk

Wir will ein gute Denmark, good for us and good for them It’ll an O.K. Denmark where “ welcome here “ comes easily and kindness is the trend I see them in Kastrup scruffy and unfashionable clothes clammy in a cold sweat, and weary from the effort of fragile hopes I see the plastic stars of Denmark’s stupidity advancing the blinkered suits that say; “Send the whole lot home” The perspective of a mink empty as a plastic Texaco petrol can and speaking of gasoline forget about Lubeck and Berlin hear what your queen says we do not want Molotov idiots and fire raisers here Wir will ein gute Denmark, good for us and good for them It’ll be an O.K. Denmark where “ welcome here” comes easily, and kindness is the trend where “ welcome here” comes easily, and kindness is the trend A Denmark we are proud of. Where nobody is forwarded on So keep a low profile Mr. Officer

Wir will ein Danmark (Danish version) Jeg har nydt den luksus at kunne rejse gennem fattigdom én masse fra Ganges over Vesterbros slum, på min egen form for nas fra Chieng Mai - over Bombay ‘s forfald, til den fattigste tigger i Rom var det eneste tilråb jeg fik; “hello friend where do you come from”? Jeg tænder mit fjernsyn og genkender verden i brand og siger til mig selv - gu’ har vi råd til en hjælpende hånd. Tabte fædre, tabte mødre, tabte unger som skrøbeligt glas kigger ind i varmen og be’r om en ledig plads Det er o.k.med mig, og jeg ved det er o.k. med dig hvem af os sku’ være dommer? Værs’go og peg Wir will ein gute Danmark, godt for os og godt for dem det blir et o.k. Danmark hvor “velkommen her” falder nemt, og venlighed er trend

BIO: Allan Olsen is a popular Danish folkrock musician and singer-songwriter. He is born in Northern Jutland in 1956, and made his debut album at the age of 33 in 1989. He is currently touring Denmark playing songs from his latest album “Jøwt”, which was praised by music critics and fans.

ALLAN OLSEN HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS AWARDS. SOME OF THEM ARE: ❚❚ Danish Music Awards (1993, 1997. 1999, 2001, 2005, 2013) ❚❚ The Association of Danish Music Critics’ award “The Steppeulv” (2003, 2013) ❚❚ The Danish Confederation of Trade Unions’ cultural award (1996) ❚❚ The Radio Station P4’s award (2005) ❚❚ The Power of word award / Ordkraftprisen (2013) ❚❚ The Gelsted-Kirk-Scherfig-award (2013)

Jeg ser dem i Kastrup forpjuskede i umoderne tøj klamt af koldsved, og med spinkle forhåbningers anstrøg Jeg ser plasticblomsten af Danmarks dumhed stå frem skyklapperslips der siger; “Send hele bundtet hjem” Horisont som en mink tom som en Texacoplasticdunk apropos benzin glem alt om Lübeck og Berlin hør hvad din dronning sir’ vi vil ikke ha’ molotovfjolser og mordbrændere her Wir will ein gute Danmark, godt for os og godt for dem det blir et o.k. Danmark hvor “velkommen her” falder nemt, og venlighed er trend hvor “velkommen her” falder nemt, og venlighed er trend Et Danmark vi kan være bekendt. Hvor ingen bliver eftersendt Så hold lav profil Hr Betjent

NEW TIMES | JUNE 2014 | ISSUE # 90 | PAGE 15

ABOUT THIS PAGE’S AUTHOR: 14-year-old Lulu Nellemann was an intern for three days at New Times. One of her tasks was to interview two of the asylum seekers working in our office.

SHE MADE MY WORLD BIGGER

As a free person living in the small country of Denmark, it can be difficult to imagine how unfriendly the world can be ❚❚By: Lulu Nellemann Riham has made my sight of the world bigger. In half an hour, she showed me what the world can also be like; tough, dangerous, crazy and confusing. Riham’s daughter, four years old, and Riham’s husband live in Turkey while the rest of her family live in America. Left alone in Denmark is Riham. The only thing she wants, is to see her daughter again instead of talking with her through Skype or the phone. Then she wants to make a new beginning in Denmark with her daughter and husband and leave the past behind her. When her daughter asks her, why she is not with her it’s driving Riham crazy that she can’t tell her the truth – because the truth is too tough. What almost made me cry during the interview was the fact that her biggest dream for the future was to make her daughter feel and be safe in Denmark. “In Syria I held my daughter close to me the whole night and I kissed her the whole time because, as I told my husband, I didn’t know if she or I would be alive the next day“, she told me.

It struck me that something as basically as safety, which in Denmark is an obvious thing, is the biggest wish for another

human. This made me think about how grateful I am for which state I’m in with friends, school and a wonderful family.

DENMARK. COLD BUT SAFE

Ahmed Omar is one of many asylum seekers in Denmark. He is 24 years old and comes from Somalia ❚❚By: Lulu Nellemann Ahmed has no family in Denmark. His two younger siblings and parents are all living different places in Somalia. However, he still has contact with them – every week. Being in Denmark was not in his thoughts some years ago back in his homeland. Nevertheless, he likes Denmark. It is cold – but safe. As an asylum seeker that is something, you’ll have to be thankful for. Ahmed has now been in Denmark for almost two years. His case has been rejected because Somalia has got a new government. It’s not safe living there yet but when it is safe he will be sent back to Somalia. But he doesn’t want to go back to Somalia. He won’t feel safe in Somalia. When I asked him about the

dreams for the future I’m sure I saw a small smile. Later I understood why he was smiling; back in Somalia the dream was to become a football player. Now his wish is to become something with IT. I’m sure the now broken dream about being a professional football player is still alive, although it now seems more unlikely.

Lulu with Ahmed

PAGE 16 | ISSUE # 90 | JUNE 2014 | NEW TIMES

THINKING OF GOING HOME? Rejected asylum seekers are often caught at a mind-toring crossroad. Should they stay and fight? Go underground? Seek family reunification? Or should they give up their hope of getting residence in Denmark and go home? If they consider the latter, the Red Cross now has a place for them to go for information ❚❚By: Robin Ali Ahrenkiel El-Tanany “We have to admit that there hasn´t been sufficient assistance to rejected asylum seekers who consider going home”, says Mette Schmidt, project leader of a new project in the Danish Red Cross asylum centers. “Are there any schools for my children in another part of my home country? What kind of jobs are there? Is there any trustworthy information about the security situation? And can I afford a decent form of housing? These questions are often in the minds of rejected asylum seekers who consider to

go home. And now we offer to help them getting this information”, says Mette Schmidt, who was heading another counselling program for rejected Iraqis five years ago.

FEAR OF RED CROSS’ ROLE

“Back then we saw people sneak into our offices hidden in the dark, so the other asylum seekers did not see them contact us. There was a fear among the Iraqis that they would weaken their common chances if the Danish authorities saw an interest in returning voluntarily. I can hear that this fear is still there when we talk with the asylum seekers about this new offer at information meetings on the centers. But we are not the Immigration Service. We handle all information given to us with confidentially. We do not share the information given to us to the authorities”, she explains. She is also stressing that the people in the Return Counselling never advise the asylum seekers to go home. This misunderstanding is widespread among the asylum seekers in the centers. “We never advise the asylum seekers to do any particular thing. Never. And we never assess the security level. We help the asylum seekers find the information so they are better suited for taking the right decision for them. Maybe they decide to complain about their rejection. Fine. Maybe they

decide to go to another country and try their luck there. Fine. It is their decision. Our rate of success is not measured in the number of rejected asylum seekers going home. The main objective for us is that people know about the counselling and the opportunities it provides, and take this opportunity to reflect on voluntary return and the assistance needed, if this is the decision they take”, she says. Apart from help to get information about the security situation, schooling, housing and jobs the Return Counselling can also look at voluntary positions in a number of local Red Cross / Red Crescent societies and also look at options in development projects that may be established in a number of countires by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affaris.

BIG EXPECTATIONS

“Our previous work showed us that there are many expectations from the local community to the asylum seekers who come back home. They are being expected to bring money or qualifications that may benefit the community. We rarely have the opportunity to offer much money, but we are start-

ing a cooperation with different Red Cross / Red Crescent societies and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs who are having projects in many countries. We expect there will be a number of options for voluntary work or project participation here which is a good way to start finding a real job - and we will help the asylum seeker get the overview of his or her possibilities”, Mette Schmidt says. The project staff is also working for a possibility for the returning asylum seekers to be picked up in the airport of the home country by a local Red Cross staff member. Mette Schmidt is aware that the issue about returning is a difficult one for everybody. But she sees it as an important help to offer the rejected asylum seekers given the fact that around 50% of all asylum seekers are rejected in Denmark. “Getting rejected brings you in a crisis situation where it can be difficult to decide what to do next. Now, with this project, we can help in a much better way if the asylum seekers consider to go home”, she says.

FACTS The new Return Counselling program is running for the rest of the year and will continue if there is an interest among the asylum seekers. There are counselors in all Red Cross Centers. Contact the office of your center if you are interested in meeting one. If you want to contact the service anonymously by phone this can be done by calling the Return Counselling’s office in Copenhagen at: 29 10 39 33.

NEW TIMES | JUNE 2014 | ISSUE # 90 | PAGE 17

FAIR ASYLUM FESTIVAL

On April 26th the Café called “Mellemrummet” in Copenhagen housed a one-day festival demanding fair asylum ❚ By: Billy Hydar The event was organised by the Trampoline House, the youth network of Danish Refugee Council and Asylret - a small non-profit organisation helping asylum seekers in Denmark. Many asylum seekers as well as old and young Danes joined the event. Political candidates for the upcoming elections for the EU Parliament from the Socialist People’s Party, The People’s Movement Against EU and the Social Liberals were sharing their views and their future plans. Several concerts were arranged too, including one with the nationally famous singer Stig Møller. The day was very “hyggelig”. It was nice to know that we are welcomed in this lovely country, where everyone danced, and sang and we shared laughter. This is what the demand was that day: to have a policy that is fair and leads to social integration and better conditions.

Smiling spectators

PAGE 18 | ISSUE # 90 | JUNE 2014 | NEW TIMES

Take Action PLEASE.

Find the Smile?

Giving Posters

With all means

Integrating

Running for voices

Smile Effect

Laughter breaks boundaries

Voices with pain, spoken and written...

NEW TIMES | JUNE 2014 | ISSUE # 90 | PAGE 19

QUESTION FOR THE LAWYER

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? WRITE TO:

We sent your questions to the lawyers at the Danish Refugee Council. Here are their replies

Malta is known for detention of asylum seekers under harsh conditions. Danish Refugee Council recently published a report about it on our website www. flygtning.dk. We have seen cases where asylum seekers have been detained for up to 18 months in Malta. This can in some cases also apply to returnees under the Dublin regulation, especially if the person has left Malta illegally. It’s possible to complain over the decision to return you to Malta, but it’s important to act quickly. If you have not already contacted the Danish Immigration Service, be sure to do so as soon as possible. Denmark can choose to reverse the decision if the individual case merits it. You can contact the Danish Refugee Council for individual counselling and legal aid in all Dublin cases.

I am a mother from Iran. I have two children. I have stayed in Denmark

together with my husband and children more than five years. We have been rejected asylum, but are too afraid to travel back. Our children are 7 and 9. They go to Danish schools and speak and write Danish fluently and have Danish friends. I have watched a documentary about another rejected family with two children who got humanitarian stay, because of the children’s integration in the Danish society. The program mentioned a paragraph called 9.1c. Can this paragraph also help my family?

It’s possible to apply for residency in Denmark on the grounds of the best interest of the child. This is a result of the Danish recognition of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The paragraph to use is § 9C,1, which specifically refers to the best interests of the child. It’s a very technical paragraph, and its use is limited to very special cases. Current practice from the Danish authorities suggests, that a residency granted on these terms is quite rare. I would advise you to contact the Danish Refugee Council directly for individual counselling and legal aid.

I come from Eritrea. I have been in Denmark for two years. I told the authorities that I had residence in Italy, but as conditions in Italy were very bad I came to Denmark. Denmark accepted to take my case here. My request for asylum was rejected in the Immigration Service, and was later rejected

New Times, Red Cross House Rosenørnsallé 31, 2nd floor 1970 Frederiksberg

Dansk Flygtningehjælp Legal Counseling Unit Asylum Department Borgergade 10 Postbox 53 1002 København K

or email us at newtimesdk@gmail.com

www.drc.dk Email: advice@drc.dk

Please feel free to ask your questions anonymously.

Free Legal Counseling for asylum seekers every Wednesday from 10:00 - 13:00 You need to present your questions in Danish or English

by the Refugee Appeals Board too. The reason was that I was granted residence in Italy. I do not understand this. Denmark accepted to take my case and now they reject my case because I should go back to Italy. Can I do anything to have the Danish authorities look at my case again? I have nothing in Italy. They will send me on the street.

Answer: As I understand your summary of the case, Denmark accepted to process your asylum case in Denmark. First, Denmark will assess whether you are at risk in Eritrea. If the answer is yes, then the authorities will proceed to assess, whether you have obtained protection in another country. The Danish authorities most likely found, that you already had asylum in a “safe” country - Italy and rejected your case on those grounds. This is because Italy as a European country is considered safe and because the asylum procedure in Denmark only take the situation in your home country into consideration. In the Danish Refugee council, we are aware of the very difficult situation for asylum seekers and refugees in Italy, but we have seen many cases where the Refugee Appeals Board has rejected a person because of a residency in Italy. In some very special cases, where the applicant has a very serious illness or small children are involved, the UN sometimes intervenes on request from the Danish Refugee Council or a private lawyer, and the deportations

have been halted temporarily. You are welcome to contact the Danish Refugee Council directly for individual counselling.

My name is Abdou. I´m from Syria. I was waiting for long time about asylum, but last month I received a negative answer about the asylum. I´m phase three now. That means everything is finished for me! I can´t go to back to Syria, it´s not possible for me. What to be done now? I have lost all hope

actually be a rejection in the Dublin procedure. If you have been to another European country prior to your arrival in Denmark or has a visa to another European country, Denmark can reject to process your asylum case and instead transfer you to this country. . I would advise you to contact Danish Refugee Council as soon as possible, so your case can be reviewed by a legal consultant.

Denmark started granting asylum to most Syrian refugees a while ago, and for a long time Denmark has not returned anyone to Syria. If you received a rejection last month, it might

PHOTO: MIKKEL ØSTERGAARD

I am an asylum seeker from Syria. I have been in Denmark for two months. My first country in Europe was Malta. My fingerprints were registered here and I stayed in Malta - under harsh conditions - for 8 months. I managed to travel to Denmark, but now the authorities tell me I have to travel back to Malta. I am afraid of that, because my friends tell me that they put asylum seekers in prison for 9 months if they have left Malta illegally. Is there any legal way to avoid being sent back to Malta?

YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT:

EXPERIENCE AVNSTRUP ASYLUM CENTER Open house with Open Air Cinema Friday June 20th at 14.0023.30. As a part of the Red Cross’ 150th anniversary we are inviting everyone inside, and together with CPH PIX we are showing “The Lunchbox” in the park. Get a guided tour, taste Afghan food, experience musicians from X-factor perform, and much more. For further information: rodekors.dk/150aar. See you? rødekors.dk

PAGE 20 | ISSUE # 90 | JUNE 2014 | NEW TIMES