REFUGEES. REPORT. LIFE.
NEWTIMES SPRING 2015 > ISSUE # 93
IS THIS A PRISON? INSIDE THE NEW DEPARTURE CENTER FOR REJECTED ASYLUM SEEKERS – SJÆLSMARK
MAYOR WANTS MORE REFUGEES DANGEROUS LOVE IN COPENHAGEN IN PAKISTAN
YOUNG DANES HAVE FORMED A NEW ORGANISATION
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THE MEDIA VS REAL LIFE A Danish radio host dialled the number to the owner of a grocery store in a small village in Jutland. He wanted to know what was happening now. A group of asylum seekers had just moved to the place almost doubling the number of people in the village. “We were very concerned”, the owner said. “I expected an increase in theft” she continued.
“So what happened?”, the radio host asked. “Well, actually the asylum seekers turned out to be very friendly. They do not steal and business has started to increase. It has been a good experience”, she replied. I like stories like these. Because they portray asylum seekers as they are most; friendly, non-criminal, grateful fellow human beings.
But I wonder why the owner of the grocery store assumed that asylum seekers steal and create problems? What made her draw that conclusion before ever having met these asylum seekers? Maybe because the Danish media very often is only focusing on the problematic sides of asylum seekers. We read stories about criminal asylum seekers. Or watch the news about the cost
of housing asylum seekers. Or listen to political plans of how to stop the number of asylum seekers. No wonder the owner of the grocery store in a small village in Jutland assumed the way she did. Luckily, she met the asylum seekers in real life. Robin Ali Ahrenkiel El-Tanany Editor
More stories on: www.newtimes.dk and facebook.com/newtimes.dk
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REFUGEES. REPORT. LIFE.
NEWTIMES
Printed by: OTM Avistryk
Published by: The Danish Red Cross
New Times Journalists: Negar, Makmoud, Ahmed, Abel, Robert, Nice, Kazhal, Sam, Ismael
Editorial Office: New Times Rosenørns Allé 31, 2. sal, 1970 Frederiksberg Email: newtimesdk@gmail.com www.newtimes.dk Tel. +45 23 34 58 87
Editorial assistants: Camilla Q Madsen, Michael Bang, Nana Fischer
Editor: Robin Ali Ahrenkiel El-Tanany
Layout: Jens Burau, supergreen.dk
Volunteers: Patricia Brander Interns: Jolanda
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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 are welcome to send an inquiry. To book the group for lectures, presentations and discussions contact newtimesdk@gmail.com 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.
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. 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.
MAYOR OF INTEGRATION WANTS MORE REFUGEES IN COPENHAGEN Copenhagen should take a bigger share of the refugees coming to Denmark, says the capital’s mayor of Integration, Anna Mee Allerslev
❚❚By: Billy New Times met with the South Korean-born Mayor of Integration, Anna Mee Allerslev (from the Social Liberal party), in the big offices of the City Hall in the centre of Copenhagen. The capital of Denmark has not received any new refugees since 1999 and the mayor recently told the press that Copenhagen should start taking in refugees again. Why is it important for you that Copenhagen takes refugees? We have a system in Denmark where municipalities get different shares of refugees to integrate. Since 1999 Copenhagen has not received any of the new refugees coming to Denmark. 16 years ago this made good sense. Copenhagen was poor, had less resources and had many immigrants and refugees.
But now it is different. Copenhagen is the country’s rich capital. Every year we invest in the environment, public health and the welfare system. I think it’s about time we give something back by helping the refugees and start welcoming them to our municipality once again. It is our duty to help the refugees. Especially now when we are in this extraordinary situation with so many coming to Denmark. Is it difficult to integrate refugees in Denmark? Denmark is receiving many refugees, although one should not compare it to other countries. I’m very proud of it and I would like that Denmark take more. I think it will not be different to integrate refugees. We need to focus on education, children, employment for elders and making good living space for refugees, not just sheltering them in remote areas where it
becomes harder to integrate in Denmark. Other parties oppose your idea of having new refugees housed and integrated in Copenhagen. How do you address your critics? As Mayor, I always try to discuss and take care of my critics’ concerns so that we can all be part of the process; sometimes, we agree on disagreeing. But we have problems with uneducated immigrants in our country, and it’s better to always focus on it and on the initiatives
that will help this problem. We have the resources that make us capable of taking bigger steps. So we should do it. Will you include refugees in the process of making these policies? We need to. That is not up for discussion. We have very good working relations with them. Did you become Mayor of Integration because of your ethnic background? It’s very a good question. I can say that it has had an effect on me, but I don’t think that
UPDATE After this interview the Mayor’s suggestion was put forward for the other politicians in the capital’s city hall. All other parties than the Mayor’s (the Social Liberals) voted against it.
there’s a direct link. My political party is built on progressive integration steps.
NEW TIMES | SPRING 2015 | ISSUE # 93 | PAGE 3
IS THIS A PRISON? Inside the new departure center – Sjælsmark ❚❚By: Negar I was sent to center Sjælsmark at the end of February. I was scared. I was fearing the rumors among the asylum seekers about this center; that it was similar to a prison with the toughest conditions to live under.
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Now I was forced to found out the truth of this mysterious place. Here I share my findings with you. Just one bus stop away from the well known Center Sandholm, you get off in front of a grass field and once you look up further you immediately
get the impression of a prison yard entrance, with all the high metal fences and a huge electronic gate. To enter the camp you have to pass through the gate where instead of a smiling red-outfitted Red Cross staff you are received by a serious faced
guard dressed in blue, asking for your identity and the reason you have showed up here. Once checked and approved, you pass through and continue to the yard. You then see an enormous yard filled up mostly with one floored buildings and every few of them restricted by metal
fences and a separate open gate. You also see many other buildings totally separated from the asylum buildings which are already in use. These are apparently being prepared for future inhabitants.
ask for permission to go back. There is a lot of checking. You will be checked while leaving or re-entering the camp and also on your regular presence in the camp. The feeling of being watched is obvious here.
TOUGH RULES
SHARED BATHROOMS
About two minutes of walking and two turns from the gate you will see the sign leading you to the service center. Here you will have a short information meeting right after you are registered. They ask you general identity check questions and you will be informed about the rules and conditions of your new center. You are told that you risk to be arrested and put into the closed camp if you do not show up in a few days. It sounds like different rules than all the other camps. Afterwards you have to sign a contract declaring your agreement and commitment to these rules. You will be given electronic keys for your room. The guards can see if you are using it or not. In this way they can check if you are living in Sjælsmark Center. If you have not used your key for about three days, they will consider you gone and then you will have to go to Sandholm and
You will be given a room which you in most cases will have to share with one more person. There are shared bathrooms for the rooms in the same building. You can see that this place belonged to an army base. You have washing machines available in each building. Also wireless internet is provided in each building.
NICE KITCHEN STAFF
Food is served three times a day at the cafeteria. It is possible to drink tea or coffee and hang out for one and half hour during the eating time. The food includes Danish and also international cuisine. It seems very healthy and diverse in taste and kitchen staff is very friendly. But you are observed by at least two guards while eating in the cafeteria.
SO IS THIS PLACE A PRISON?
I would say it is a semi-prison. You have access to the very
basic needs of a human being; a bed, food and a nurse. But it is a restricted, watched and controlled place. FACTS: ❚❚ Sjælsmark Departure Center
opened in February. Most rejected asylum seekers in Denmark will be moved to this center. It is the only asylum center in Denmark that is run by the Danish Prison and Probation Service - Kriminalforsorgen. ❚❚ Sjælsmark is now housing
approximately 130 persons. It will open up different sections during 2015 and will house between 400 and 700 people when it is fully operational at the end of the year. ❚❚ Later the center will also house
people on tolerated stay and those who have been expelled from Denmark. These people now live in Center Sandholm close to Sjælsmark. ❚❚ The center is manned around the
clock ( all the time ) and there is a guarded gate with access control. ❚❚ Red Cross will also be present in
Sjælsmark and will be offering different services in the center.
The rooms are shared like in most other centers.
NEW TIMES | SPRING 2015 | ISSUE # 93 | PAGE 5
SWITZERLAND LEAVES REFUGEES ON THE STREETS – IN ITALY In a cold and cynical way Swiss police puts asylum seekers on a bus and leave them on the streets of Milan in Italy
❚❚By: Abel An Eritrean refugee, named Yonas, is shocked about the way the Swiss Immigration officers treated him and many other Eritreans in their attempt to find security in Europe. He arrived safely in Switzerland six months ago where officials took his fingerprints. But an early morning five months later police officers suddenly, and with no good explanation, put him and a big group of other Eritreans on a bus. They dropped him and the others off in the streets of Milan and drove away again. New Times asked Yonas to describe his experience. When and how did you arrive in Switzerland? I came just like all the illegal immigrants, traveling across the Mediterranean sea and then safely arrived in Italy. I was in Italy for a couple of days, maybe three days before I arrived in Switzerland on the first week of June of 2014. My journey was so peaceful and safe. Immediately,
I went to an asylum centre and settled in. Were your fingerprints taken in any EU country before you reached Switzerland? Not at all. I understand the issue of illegal immigrants and [the Dublin Regulation] so I wouldn’t waste my time if my fingerprints had been taken in Italy before I came to Switzerland. The only EU country that I had passed through was Italy and, at that time, Italy did not take our fingerprints. So I was free to go to any country I wanted. That was what I thought. How long were you in a camp in Switzerland? I was [in Switzerland] for almost five full months in different asylum centres. How did you leave Switzerland? Two police officers came to my room at 6:00 a.m. and asked me to join them at the police station. They told me that they had found my fingerprints from Italy and explained that I should not be in Switzerland. It shocked
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me, because I am certain I don’t have any fingerprints [in Italy] and I let them know that. But they sent me to a socalled “staying place” [prison] in the police station compound. After two days, a police investigator called me to his office for a second time and told me that my asylum case had been rejected by the Immigration Service, which was so strange because my asylum case was being processed and I had not received any letters from the the Immigration Service regarding my case yet. Afterwards they sent me back again to the cell, where I eagerly awaited to be sent to my asylum camp. After a short while, I was told that a letter was received from the Italian Immigration office and that they were looking for me. When I asked them to show me the letter, they avoided me and the next morning they sent me to Milan. What did you do then? I went to Germany illegally and let them know every incident that happened to me when I was in Switzerland. The immi-
gration office here is really helping me. They are now handling my case, and I am looking forward to the future.
FACTS ABOUT THE DUBLIN CONVENTION: According to the Dublin Regulation, asylum seekers have to have their asylum case processed in the first EU country they enter.
IS THIS LEGAL?
Yonas was shocked by the actions of the Swiss police
Shockingly, yes. According to the Danish Refugee Council, the things desribed in this article are legal. If you have told the police that you have entered Europe through Italy, they do not need a fingerprint before trying to send you back. Whether or not you will be send back seems to be up to the individual police officer handling your case and the individual official in Italy answering the request for sending you back. The Italians are not forced to accept asylum seekers without fingerprints in Italy. But sometimes they do. And sometimes they do not. And sometimes they do not respond. Maybe because of the massive pressure on the Italian asylum system. If they do not respond to a request it is considered a ”yes”
“WILL TALIBAN KILL MY FAMILY?”
Taliban blew up Asif’s Internet café and attacked his church, so he fled from Pakistan to Denmark, but now he fears for his family every time he hears about attacks in Pakistan. ❚❚By: Robert Asif owned an Internet cafe in Pakistan, but he received many threats from the Taliban, because it was against sharia law, they said. After a few months of the threats, his Internet café was blown up on 12th March 2009 and he lost everything that he had had worked for all his life. After this Asif and his family had no other option than moving to another place in the capital Peshawar.
NO SCHOOL BECAUSE OF TALIBAN’S BOMBS
Today Asif is safe in Denmark, but he gets scared every time he hears about bombs in Pakistan: ”Ever since I left home my heart sinks when I hear about attacks in Pakistan - especially the ones that are around my home town. Recently there was a bomb blast in Bannu Peshawar on a Chris-
tian school, where 132 children were killed. Now I have stopped my son and daughter from going to school. I really do not know if my family is safe back home.”
FAILED TO PROTECT THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
After Asif lost his Internet café in 2009, he became a member of a church called All Saints Church, but again there were attacks by the Taliban. This time it was done by two suicide bombers and 152 people were killed. ”After this attack the bishop and I made a security plan that would protect our church and our selves, and it should not rely on the local authorities. After putting this plan in action we planned that I and another man would take the first round on a Sunday church mass. When we did the security check for
Asif fled from Pakistan and Taliban. Today he lives on an asylum centre in Denmark. Photo: Robert
the mass, a car came around the corner and started shooting at us. By the grace of God I was saved, but the other man, brother Joseph Maish, died.” Later that day Asif received a call, that told him he survived today, but that he would not do that next time. This is the reason he fled from Pakistan and is now living in an asylum centre in Denmark.
NEW TIMES | SPRING 2015 | ISSUE # 93 | PAGE 7
ERITREANS CALLED FOR JUSTICE More than 700 people – most of them Eritrean asylum seekers – took to the streets of Copenhagen to let the Danes know the truth about Eritrea.
❚❚Words and pictures by: Abel On 20 December 2014, nearly 700 non-Danes took to the streets of Copenhagen flying their nation’s flag and holding banners describing the real image of their homeland and the tyrannical leadership they had left behind. They were also arguing for the Ministry of Justice to tighten the new law. As Danish media reported, the results of the immigration service’s investigation stated: ‘’After a major fact finding mission, Denmark will no longer give blanket asylum to Eritreans fleeing their country’s authoritarian rule’’. New Times managed to get a hold of Berhane Tesfagergish, who coordinated the demonstration, and asked him about the reason for arranging such a gathering. “I have been living here in Denmark for 20 years, and now I am here as a coordinator to express my disappointment towards the fact finding mission’s conclusion that Eritrea is a safe country to return to if you have legally left the military service,” said Tesfagergish, “I have been following the news about the report – and all the criticism it received – and I can only conclude that Denmark’s politicians deliberately fabricated it or it is a conspiracy from the fact finding mission created to terrify Eritreans and protect their countries from foreigners.” Regarding the report, Karina Lorentzen Dehnhardt, MP for the Socialist People’s Party, conveyed during the demonstration that it had been “criticized from several factions – not least from the United Nations – to paint a false picture of the country. The report differs from several other countries’ situational assessments. Now that the report was withdrawn following intense media coverage, it will not have an effect on the decision about your stay in Denmark.” Eritrean politician Mussa Utto, a member of Esbjerg City Council since 2006 and the integration and cultural spokesperson for the Social democratic group, has been living in Denmark for more than 30 years. Utto lent his take on the situation in Eritrea and criticized the fact finding report: “It is
important to understand that the report gambles with life! These Eritrean refugees will no doubt be sent back to prison, tortured and killed. People do not choose to voluntarily risk their lives and flee their homes unless that is the only hope they have for a future.” New Times also asked Yuran, a 30 year old man from Eritrea currently living in an asylum centre in Denmark, why he was protesting and holding a banner with prison images: “I am here to unveil what has surrounded us and advocate for my future by demonstrating against the report of the fact finding mission’s investigation. Initially, I didn’t take it seriously […] because I thought the
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problematic Eritrean situation is common knowledge; I wondered why it became breaking news in Denmark.”
FACTS: See more pictures from the demonstration on our webpage www.newtimes.dk
The crowd considered the Fact Finding Mission a conspiracy
A child’s hope for a better fortune from Danish Immigration Service
Protesters show how prisoners are tortured by the soldiers. The future is shown in the coffin
UPDATE Not long after the demonstration, the fact finding report was in effect deemed useless. In January new numbers from the Danish Immigration Service showed that the authorities had started processing the Eritrean cases again and almost everybody was given asylum. Out of 122 people only three were rejected. Two of them were rejected because they were not from Eritrea and the third had already been granted protection in another country.
Looking for protection The report by the Danish Immigration Service (D.I.S) frustrated the demonstrators
NEW TIMES | SPRING 2015 | ISSUE # 93 | PAGE 9
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF...? She is from Denmark. He just arrived from Syria. Both are 14 years old. New Times asked them to interview each other
❚❚By: Freyja Bartels (Intern)
What was your life like in Syria, before the war? I lived with all of my family in a house. We were very happy together. I had a room that I shared with my brother. They dropped bombs on the house and its completely gone now. Now we have nothing in Syria. When the war started my family was split up. They went to different places. Now nobody knows where the others are. Some are in Turkey or Italy and some are in Denmark.
How did your life change during the war? It totally changed. I could not go outside and I was very afraid of the sound of the bombs. I had never heard a sound like that before. We all had to stay in the lower floors of the house. The radio and the magazines told people to stay in the lower floors. My uncle’s store was bombed and his arm was injured. I saw it. I was very afraid because there was a lot of blood. We could not go outside because it was dangerous, anytime we could get bombed. For one year we had to live without electricity. If the sound of explosions was gone for a longer time I
Special thanks to Ahmed’s uncle (Esmael) for helping out making this interview possible. Also thanks to Magdoline for translating and planning the meeting.
AHMED INTERVIEWS FREYJA
How did you get to Denmark? I came from Syria to Turkey by sea, on a boat, a very small boat. Then I went from Italy to Denmark by minibus. I spent about eight days on the sea. It was very hard and very difficult. I was about to die many times. It was so cold out on the sea, and the weather was very bad. I really thought I was going to die.
What did you do in your spare time before the war? I would go to the mosque to pray, play football or play computer games like Counter Strike and GTA with my cousin.
THANKS:
Do you like to live in denmark? Yes, I like it very much, because its safe and it is boring. But I like it. could go shortly outside and then come back. But for a year I was almost always inside. Inside I would sleep and study and play simple games. No internet or computer games. It was very boring, and we would fight together because we had to be inside all day. Can you describe a normal day at the asylum center? We go to school from nine to two. From three to eight I go to the club with my friends. We play computer or playstation. At dinner time we go to the canteen and eat, and then right back to the club. We spend most of our time at the club. At the club I go riding bicycles with the guys and then got to sleep around ten. It is good, I like it. At least it is safe. I like Denmark because it is safe. What do you miss from Syria? First of all, my family. I came
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here with my uncle but my parents are still in Syria, in a small town with my two sisters and my brother. I am the only one who is in Denmark with my uncle. All I want is to be safe with my family. Do you want to go back to Syria after the war? No, I hate Syria. I saw so much blood and dead people in the streets. I do not want to go back to that. What are you hoping for the future? I want my family to come here and be safe, and I want to study and learn English and Danish. I want to be a math teacher.
Ahmed interviewed Freyja afterwards
What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be either a journalist or be in business. Do you have any brothers or sisters? Yes, I have two sisters and one brother. Where do you live? I live in a small town, called Frederikssund. What are your hobbies? I like to run, athletic sport and climbing, and I really like watching movies with my friends. If you had the same situation as in Syria, what would you do? My mother has family in Iceland. I think I would go to them if a war broke out here. If you had to leave your family how would you feel? I would be sad. I would want to go home, or want them to go with me.
Børnebørn for Asyl (Grandchildren for Asylum) are making demonstrations and organise petitions to help asylum seekers - especially the young. Picture: Grandchildren for Asylum
NEW ORGANISATION HELPS ASYLUM SEEKERS
FACTS: You can read more about the organisation and contact them via their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/bbforasyl
A group of young Danes try to improve the asylum laws
❚❚By Makmoud Interview with Serena Hebsgaard spokesperson for the group Børnebørn for Asyl (translated: Grandchildren for Asylum) Why did the group start? Because of the phobic asylum policies in Denmark and the rise of the number of asylum seekers because of the war in Syria. The rise of ISIL in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan were also the reason. The number of refugees has risen in the world drastically. The number of refugees fleeing violence are more than 50 million- the highest since World War II. Harsh laws of asylum in Denmark make it hard to get protection and the problem is escalating to tragic levels.
every month. Part of our ideology is to promote awareness on asylum issues and to try to influence the Danish public opinion on the discourse on asylum policy. An example are Zakaria and Mustafa, two Afghan brothers. They are rejected asylum seekers. They came to Denmark three years ago and are now on the deportation list. Mustafa is a minor, only 15 years old, and Zakaria is now 23 years old. We protested in the airport on
the day of their deportation together with another organisation (Grandparents for asylum) Zakaria and Mustafa were motivated by our actions and they refused to board the plane, and made a lot of noise and screaming. The pilot refused to have them on board and they are now in Sandholm Center. How can you help these families? By protesting and making our opinion visible by writing and telling people about con-
crete cases. What we saw in the airport when the pilot refused to take these boys to Afghanistan has motivated us. The politicians make rules about people they don’t know anything about and individuals they have never met. Why this name? We chose this name because of the already existing group Grandparents for Asylum. Also because everybody is a grandchild of someone.
What type of activities you do? We plan a demonstration
Spokesperson for the group Serena Hebsgaard says that the harsh laws of asylum in Denmark makes life hard for asylum seekers. Picture: Makmoud
NEW TIMES | SPRING 2015 | ISSUE # 93 | PAGE 11
DANGEROUS LOVE IN PAKISTAN Naeem Rafiq is Christian. His wife is muslim. That love proved too dangerous in Pakistan ❚❚By: Robert .Naeem Rafiq came from Pakistan to Denmark with his two daughters and wife in 2011. Naeem, from a Christian family, has been married for eight years to his Muslim wife Asma. They both have looked death in the eyes many times because of the love they have for each other and the main reason for their problems is that they are from different religions. “I married a Muslim woman in Pakistan, which caused me problems every day and many times there were attempts on my life and the lives of my family. We were stopped in the center of the marketplace and they stoned my car in front of the police. No one one did
anything. They delivered a threatening letter to my house saying they would kill me and my whole family. We were unable to go to work or send my daughter to school for several weeks. But thanks to God we were saved and managed to flee the country and arrived in Denmark”
NO RIGHTS
According to Naeem Rafiq, Christians in Pakistan have no rights. ”Christians are not understood to be human. They cannot live by their own free will because there is always a sword hanging over their heads that is known as 295 B & C (the Pakistani blasphemy laws, ED). Anyone who tries to live their lives freely will have this
sword dropped on them. Soon false allegations will be made against their families and they will be destroyed,” he explains. Naeem Rafiq sees no bright future for the Christians in Pakistan. “Christians in Pakistan can never be happy or safe in Pakistan. Their only chance could be if they converted to Islam which many Christians have done in the past to save themselves and their families from persecution. Or they can flee the country”.
ASYLUM IN DENMARK
time reflecting on the plight of all the Christians back in Pakistan and the persecution that they face. “I would like to make an appeal to the European Union saying that any Christian from Pakistan should be granted asylum according to human rights and religious rights laws. Christians are often forced to convert to Islam or flee from their homes. Some are even being killed and no body questions the murders.”
Naeem was granted asylum with help from the United Nations after receiving rejections from both the Danish Immigration and the Danish Refugee Board. Naeem now spends a lot of
Naeem is safely in Denmark now, where he has been granted asylum
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DANISH TEENAGERS MEET A REFUGEE
Abel, an asylum seeker from Eritrea, caught the attention of a big group of teenage students in a high school in Slagelse ❚❚By: Ahmed As an active member of the Asylum Seekers’ Information Group (ASIG), Abel went to the city of Slagelse on Zealand to give a presentation for a group of students. New Times followed him on this day to see what kind
of impact a meeting with an asylum seekers makes on a group of teenagers and their teacher. When we reached the class the students were making fun with each other and were quite noisy - you know the teenagers - but they welcomed us nicely when the teacher told them
who we were and why we were there.
THE PRESENTATION
Abel started his presentation. After a short time most of the students were listening intently to his dramatic story. A few had difficulties understanding English. I saw the teacher was
explaining to them during the presentation. Abel spoke about children in his country (Eritrea) and Denmark, and about his dangerous journey to Denmark.
FACTS: Asylum Seekers’ Information Group is a group of asylum seekers who tour most parts of the region of Zealand. They give presentations about the life as a refugee. The group can be booked at roaa@redcross.dk.
Johan Kristoffersen Student
Henrik Nielsen Teacher
What is your impression of the presentation today? It was exciting but also terrifying to listen to his history, I didn’t really thought the world could be this horrible. I didn’t know that there is such a dictator down there, who approves the military and soldiers to capture children and sell them to make money.
How do you think this presentation will benefit your students? I think this was an eye opener for them. It’s important to know about other parts of the world and meeting someone like Abel makes it easier to understand and remember than just to talk about these situations or watch the news.
Did you learn anything new? I learned a lot today. I appreciate that I’m living in Denmark and I have my own home, and that we have a democracy and civil rights. We don’t have war, we are members of NATO, UN and EU. I’m happy for that.
How did you find Abel? I called the Red Cross and I asked if they knew someone who could do something. They gave me the contacts of the Asylum Seekers Information Group and that was it. It was very good and he talked very clearly and slowly to the students for good understanding and he had very good points.
Would you recommend other schools to have a presentation like this? Yes, I would. Especially English classes, because they understand the language better than us. This presentation was very exciting and I’m sure people will learn something new.
Would you recommend other schools to have a presentation like this? For sure. Watching the TV showing refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Italy is not the same than meeting a boat refugee in your classroom. It is good for the students to meet someone who has actually been there.
NEW TIMES | SPRING 2015 | ISSUE # 93 | PAGE 13
COPENHAGEN SHOOTINGS FROM SYMPATHY TO FEAR?
Do not let the sad murders in Copenhagen in February change your view on Muslims ❚❚By: Sam As a Muslim asylum seeker I find my self and many other Muslims in danger to be punished by the Danish state by harder rules or by not getting permission to stay in Denmark or have my case completely pulled off because of such sad events. Specially the Syrian and Iraqi Muslims are most likely to suffer from these angry actions as ISIS is widely active in their home countries. I have heard some voices and seen posts on social media in Denmark now asking to send Muslims back home as people are afraid of more “terror actions”. One such social media campaign originates from the extreme far right party - and luckily still very small - Danskernes Parti (The Danes Party). Many people showed their sorrow after the shootings. Photo by Annette Røpke
MUSLIM WANTS TO LEAVE DENMARK AFTER COPENHAGEN SHOOTINGS
WHAT COULD HAPPEN NEXT?
If one fundamentalist’s crime in Copenhagen can affect all Muslims, I am afraid that Syrian and Iraqi asylum seekers would to be linked with ISIS and terror. And that could change the sympathy to fear. If the politicians bring such fear to the Parliament then those voices of “kicking Muslims out of Denmark” will get louder or be put into action with new harsh rules.
TERROR-O-METER
But let us think about these questions together. How can a few men’s crazy murder actions in Europe affect millions of Muslims in Europe? How will the Danes’ Party really find out who is a terrorist and who is not ? Do they have a terroro-meter? Why is it only called terror when it is a Muslim guy? An American who killed three Muslims in March was called a murder with health issues. Did you know for a fact that most people killed by ISIS are Muslims? So why blame Muslims for that when they are the biggest target of the crazy terrorist group? I know many Danes sympathise with the Syrians. I hope that sympathy does not change into fear now. FACTS: The Danes’ Party is a small extreme right party in Denmark. It is not very popular among the Danes and has still not succeeded in being represented in the Danish Parliament or in any Danish Municipality. It occasionally receives a lot of attention in the Danish media because of it’s harsh statements towards immigrants and asylum seekers.
The attacks on the freedom of speech and the Jewish society, has made a Muslim hope to leave Denmark. He fears the consequences for Muslims in Denmark ❚❚By Ismael A Muslim, who want to be anonymous, has lived in Denmark for more than 20 years, but now hopes to leave Denmark and Europe. He feels the relation with the Danish people cannot be the same as before.
INNOCENT MUSLIMS FEEL GUILTY
“Great discomfort has settled in the Danish community. The muslims feel guilty and this hinder them. There is no longer the same confidence as before. Therefore I want to leave Denmark and Europe. I fear that it will become worse in the future and that the relationship between the cultures has gotten more cold”, the anonymous man explains New Times.
FEAR
Some Danes believe that the shootings in Copenhagen was done by a madman, and some think that he did it because of religion. The last group argue that it happened because of the many Muslims in Denmark. No matter why he did it, Muslims fear that the events will change their relationship with the Danish people.
MY ADVICE
If I have any advice for the Jihadist in Denmark, I will tell them to go to Syria and make jihad against the tyrant of that country and let Denmark in peace. Denmark is a country of freedom, tolerance and is open for all cultures. Don’t make Denmark a xenophobic country without tolerance.
PAGE 14 | ISSUE # 93 | SPRING 2015 | NEW TIMES
“Terror threats get Danish passport and residence. We will send them home!”, the text says in a social media campaign made by the Danes’ Party
YOUR HOROSCOPE FOR 2015 ❚❚By: Maggie Your year starts off so hot and highenergy in the March 21, and you will feel like you could succeed at just about anything. Use that confidence while being wildly creative, social, and happy in August. The September, Are you staying healthy and on track? In November, be willing to take on more responsibility.
You have a well-balanced year ahead, Leo. You will have illusions and comfortable escapes in February, surprise and energize in April when Mars will tug at your heartstrings and family in July. You will be more pleasant and comfortable than ever in September. What a year!
What a great year to be a Sagittarius! With so much admiration, respect. Emotional judgment is strong and true in February. It could lavish extra affection on you in the springtime. Avoid too many extra calories after early April.
2015 is a great year for Taurus to begin something new. April and May could be the most agreeable for your plans. Love and relationships in general may take a slight hit in July and August. Be extra creative and you’ll be popular all summer long. Be healthy, happy, and good to yourself, in November and December!
2015 is a year of great luck and abundance, Virgo. Expect opportunities and congenial people around you from January. In August, amplified good luck and prosperity should blossom. Enhanced creativity, good times with groups of people and a trip or two are all.
Make a major new start in 2015, Capricorn. Let your heart and passion be your guides. Your Capricorn year actually starts in December 2014. Find healthy ways to de-stress and to nurture and encourage yourself. This becomes increasingly important as the year progresses.
2015 is an exciting year, Gemini, when relationships bloom. January to February is a calmer social period, May to June lets you mentally regroup and rethink what might have been done. September to October offers a chance to take a second look at any agreements or commitments you made before.
2015 gives you a deeper desire for material security and luxury. This means you’ll have greater motivation and ambition. In September - October Consolidate your team of friends and family members now. November and December are powerful times for you as well.
2015 sees you firmly in control of your own world, Aquarius. You can keep your private goals. Be careful between January 21-February 11,and maybe you will be more sharper and more cautious. Your health looks strong, but overdoing things will be an ongoing concern.
You may feel a bit like a sea creature out of water this year. Keeping your emotions controlled in late June and July. The first two months you will be focused more on others. People keep you busy with fun in May and June. everyone will see your charm throughout the rest of the year!
Powerful good luck and instant energy are at your fingertips in 2015. Be cool and a bit distant if necessary in February and March when instincts are tested. In March an April you will be more strongly. Respect your physical limits, avoid overexertion, and be healthy and ambitious..
If you’ve ever dreamed of taking a step up and being a bigger, better you, 2015 is your year! Give yourself enough attention and be healthy, especially in January through April. Family and friends help you keep a lid on the wild times and offer sanity especially in the summer.
FIND 5 MISTAKES
SUDOKU
NEW TIMES | SPRING 2015 | ISSUE # 93 | PAGE 15
HERE THEY OFFER HELP AND ADVICE
In the CARE-office in Sandholm asylum seekers can have coffee, tea and an important talk. New Times has interviewed the head of the office, Susanne Maria Lamhauge ❚❚By: Makmoud Who do you help? We offer help to asylum seekers who show signs of isolation, drug abuse, aggressive tendencies or have mental or physical problems. What do you do? What we do depends on the person and the person’s needs. Our primary task is to motivate people to make the changes they think are necessary to thrive and develop. We discuss with people how to develop and make their days tolerable and maybe even achieve some sort of internship placement in or outside the center. In all our activities we follow the choice of the individual and cooperate with the individual. How many asylum seekers do you help?
We are currently in contact with 50 people, some of them are on tolerated stay, some have been in the system for years and others need assistance for other reasons.
is very important that people have something meaningful to do while they live in our centres.
What type of activities do you do? We have different activities inside the center such as weekly football matches, we show movies, arrange Christmaslunches, summer barbecue, music events and more. Outside the center we arrange trips for fishing, bowling, museums, the zoo, blue planet, the theater, movies and horse riding. What is the most difficult situation you found yourself in? The most difficult situation for me personally is not being able to activate people because of the lack of funds. For me, and for the Red Cross altogether it
We sent your questions to the lawyers at the Danish Refugee Council. Here are their replies
ASK A LAWYER
1
Hi. I am a man from Cuba. I married my Danish girlfriend one year ago in Denmark (I was here on a tourist visa). Recently I had to escape Cuba but immigration gave me a negative. I see no other options that to go back now. I am afraid. Is it possible to return to Denmark again and how long would it take?
1
When an asylum seeker receives the final rejection on the asylum application that person has to leave Denmark. If an asylum seeker is expelled from Denmark because of failure to leave Denmark within the time limit specified in the final rejection, it is difficult to return legally to Denmark as the expulsion will contain a reentry ban. Legally, a person is permitted to apply for asylum in Denmark as soon as
that person has returned to his or her home country. It is not possible to lodge an application for asylum if you are in another country. You need to be in Denmark to apply for asylum. Bear in mind, though, that if you apply for asylum again without new information or new developments in the home country, you will most likely be rejected again. The Danish Refugee Council has special counselling sessions for rejected asylum seekers at all municipal asylum centers. Residents in a Red Cross center can get counselling from Red Cross staff. Please ask the staff for assistance, and they will contact us for scheduling of a counselling session with a legal advisor and an interpreter.
2
Hi. One month ago I got a negative reply from the Immigration in Denmark.
PAGE 16 | ISSUE # 93 | SPRING 2015 | NEW TIMES
I then travelled to Italy, but I found out that you can have more interviews in Denmark. Is it possible for me to come back to Denmark again and have my second interview?
2
In Denmark, with few exceptions, you have the right to a second decision from the Refugee Appeals Board. At the Refugee Appeals Board you will have a lawyer appointed to assist you in your case. In order for this to happen you need to be in Denmark. Sometimes the Appeals Board decides on the case even if the applicant is not present. This can be checked by contacting the Refugee Appeals Board. If you travelled illegally to Italy, you will probably be returned to Denmark automatically by the Italian authorities in accordance with the Dublin Regula-
tion because you submitted your application for asylum in Denmark first.
3
Hi. I am from Ghana. My case of applying asylum in Denmark is because of my sexual life (I am bisexual) and that is illegal in my country of origin. Is it true people from Ghana never gets a positive result? How can I as an asylum seeker reverse a negative result if I get it after my interview?
3
The Danish authorities always decide asylum cases after an individual assessment. Therefore, it is not possible to say that people from a specific country will never be granted asylum. We have seen some cases not too long ago where people have been granted asylum from Ghana on the basis of their sexual orienta-
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? WRITE TO: New Times Rosenørns Allé 31, 2. sal, 1970 Frederiksberg or email us at newtimesdk@gmail.com Please feel free to ask your questions anonymously.
tion. If the Immigration Service decides to reject your application that rejection is automatically referred to the Refugee Appeals Board where the case will be heard again. You will have the opportunity to choose a lawyer for the case, or the Board will choose one for you if you don’t know anyone. The lawyer will call you for a meeting to prepare your case with an interpreter.