Nt_80

A magazine produced by asylum seekers and immigrants in Denmark > December 2010 > issue # 80

SPEA

T U O KI NG

SPEAKING OUT… … for yourself and for others 2010 has been a year of many comings and goings.

You may notice that the names on the credit list below have changed considerably since the last issue. Most of our journalists from the previous issues have left – been deported, been given asylum, gone underground. Such is the nature of the life of a person seeking asylum: never knowing where tomorrow will take you. For all the friends we’ve said goodbye to, one thing remains: their articles, which capture their thoughts, feelings and experiences along the road. Articles proving that these are individuals who are more than capable of speaking out for themselves.

For 15 years New Times has been speaking out. Founded by a few asylum seekers who had enough of being mere subjects of other peoples' decisions, enough of being spoken about as if they weren’t present or couldn’t speak for themselves, they borrowed a typewriter, a printer and photocopier from the Red Cross staff in Sandholm, and voila: New Times was born. While the paper has since evolved into a full-scale magazine and webpage project and the office has moved from the centre to the Red Cross House in Frederiksberg, the main driving force is still the journalists’ first-hand experiences with asylum, migration and human rights violations.

In recognition of this year’s Human Rights Day, our journalists have thus sharpened their focus on violations against homosexuals in Uganda, Kurds in Syria, and the against-the-odds fight for survival in Somalia. New Times also sat down with former Danish Prime Minister, Poul Nyrup

Our best wishes to all of you, TEAM NEW TIMES

New Times Coordinator: Patricia Brander Editor: Ole Jeppesen

Positive Images is an interactive awareness-raising project aimed at young people aged 12-25. The goal is to deepen their understanding of asylum matters in the migration debate and to promote positive attitudes towards asylum seekers and refugees. Furthermore, it seeks to inspire young people to actively take a stand on migration issues.

In 2010, our small group of volunteers delivered the workshop to over 300 students in 5 schools, giving them an experience they won’t soon forget. ❚❚Are you interested in asylum issues and would you like to make a long-term difference? ❚❚Are you reliable, enthusiastic, and a good team player? ❚❚Are you a good communicator?

Then perhaps you would like to join our Positive Images team consisting of asylum seekers, refugees and other volunteers! For more information, visit www.positiveimages.dk or contact Mette N. Schmidt on mns@redcross.dk.

We look forward to hearing from you!

WE NEED HELP - URGENTLY

Editorial Office: Danish Red Cross Asylum Department H. C. Ørstedsvej 47 DK-1879 Frederiksberg C Denmark Email: newtimesdk@gmail.com www.newtimes.dk Tel: +45 2334 5887

You may have read about the Positive Images workshops in the previous issues.

Now it’s time for YOU to get involved!

Rasmussen, to discuss his advocacy for the rights of mentally ill asylum seekers and refugees. On speaking out on behalf of others, we met with the Danish Red Cross’ General Secretary Anders Ladekarl and the newly retired chief of the asylum department Jørgen Chemnitz, to talk about the Red Cross’ stand on Danish asylum matters. We asked them: how can you be a neutral advocate in such a highly politicised field? How – and why – should the Red Cross be speaking out for asylum seekers at all?

Whatever the New Year may bring for New Times, our journalists and our readers, we hope that the legacy of 15 years of research, initiative and self-advocacy will inspire others to take courage to speak out!

Like the future of our journalists, the future of New Times is very uncertain.

As of December 2010, all previous funding sources have run out and the continued existence of New Times as a vehicle for asylum seekers’ voices hangs in the balance. The project is completely reliant on outside funding so we appeal to all our supporters for help. If you have a suggestion for a foundation we could apply to or if you or your company/organisation would be interested in sponsoring the project or advertising in the magazine or on the webpage, please contact Mette N. Schmidt on mns@redcross.dk. All offers and ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Published by: The Danish Red Cross Asylum Department

Get involved – in spreading Positive Images

TEAM NEW TIMES & POSITIVE IMAGES

Editor-in-Chief: Karen-Inger Thorsen

Printed by: OTM Avistryk

New Times journalists: Adam, Biniam, Dan, Emile, H. Shirzai, Jimmy, John, Mame, Mohamed, Nyang, Peace, Passion, Sabri, Solomon, Suleman.

Distributed free of charge to: Danish Asylum Centres, Ministries, members of the Danish Parliament, public libraries, asylum and human rights organisations, NGOs, media and individuals in Denmark and abroad.

On job training: Legend Katz Omid Project assistant: Sarah Madsen Volunteers: Barenise Moira Alsing Olsson, Manuela Paras Kohring.

Layout: Jens Burau, supergreen.dk Robert L. Sørensen. supergreen.dk

page 2 | issue # 80 | DECEMBER 2010 | New times

Subscription: If you would like to subscribe to New Times and receive copies by post, please send an email to newtimesdk@gmail.com. There is no charge, subscriptions are free.

ASIG: ASIG (Asylum Seekers’ Information Group) exists to answer questions about asylum and asylum life. Individuals, teachers, students, journalists – anyone who is interested in asylum matters is welcome to send an enquiry.

To book the group for lectures, presentations and discussions on asylum life to take

place at your school or place of work, contact newtimesdk@gmail.com.

Support: This issue is supported by the Red Cross and EU. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and the persons interviewed. DRC cannot be held responsible for any other opinions. All contributions are very welcome from readers and others who take an interest in the issue of asylum and human rights. The Editorial Board reserves the right to edit these materials according to editorial and space considerations. This publication is based on the Red Cross principles of humanity, independence, impartiality, neutrality, voluntarism, universality and unity.

ISSN: 1397 6877

AWAY WITH TABOOS!

Mentally ill refugees and asylum seekers in Danmark are a marginalised group. Now the group is receiving help from prominent quarters. New Times journalist Dan had a long talk with Mr. Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark in the years 1993 to year 2001. ❚❚By Dan Ganda Poul Nyrup Rasmussen is currently member of the European Parliament and chairman of the Danish “Social Network” organisation, SIND, a non-profit organisation doing advocacy work for people with mental problems across Europe and Danmark. Even early in the interview Mr. Nyrup Rasmussen could not hide his enthusiasm for the subject, “One of the best ways you can help someone with mental illness is by understanding what it is and what it isn’t. The myths and taboos about mental illness contribute to stigma which often prevents those who are ill from seeking professional medical help.”

Nyrup Rasmussen explained that the main causes of mental illness are manifold from genetic, biological, environmental and social and cultural factors - and that asylum seekers and refugees are especially vulnerable: “Coming to a country like Denmark most asylum seekers bring the problem with them, maybe a problem due to war.

For example, the Gaza Strip conflict that involves the Palestinians and Israel. The crisis there means that young people are hit very hard by depression and by different kinds of mental illness due to the catastrophes they endure.”

Help in time

It is Nyrup Rasmussen’s perception that being a refugee or asylum seeker is an enormous load to bear: “If one is forced to stay too long in a refugee camp and you are not getting help early enough, then your mental problem could worsen and that could lead to catastrophe. Some people have lost hope because they stay too long in the camps, which has worsened their mental condition. Getting professional help too late coupled with the way the surrounding society regards them or behaves towards them also has a lot of influence on their mental state,” Nyrup Rasmussen said.

Does the society treat refugees and asylum seekers with the decorum and respect they deserve? Has society accepted that human beings are equal and should be treated the same irrespective of their status in life, sick or not?

“My personal concern is that we as a country, or government, must make sure that asylum

seekers coming to Danmark with mental problems receive help as soon as possible. I know of human beings who are waiting for too long and I see cases where the public authority does not recognise that we have refugees and asylum seekers who are really very sick and who require urgent action. So my major concern is that we need to change our attitudes towards asylum seekers in such away that when they come to Denmark they should have help to ensure that their mental disease and disparate situation are taken care of with all necessary speed.”

Speaking out openly

To make the establishment carry out this work a certain degree of pressure is needed, the former Prime Minister explained: “In our ‘social network’ we try to influence our Parliament and government when they negotiate the budget for coming year.

They should add more resources to the psychiatric and mental health programme. The ‘Social Network’ also campaigns for ‘attitude change’ by bringing on board well known personalities, actors and politicians, like

myself and others, to speak out openly and loudly about what mental illness is and to change the people’s attitudes towards the invisible disease and preach the gospel: ‘away with taboos’”.

Poul Nyrup Rasmussen paused for a moment before giving us his final thoughts: “Mental illness is treatable if it is acted upon earlier enough.

The myths and taboos that people associate with mental problems should be discarded.

It’s a very primitive and shallow way of looking at it,” he said.

Hard facts An unknown number of asylum seek­ ers in Denmark have been tortured in their homelands. Amnesty Interna­ tional Danish Medical Group surveyed a group of 142 newly arrived asylum seekers, of whom 45% had been tortured. Physical and psychologi­ cal symptoms were 2-3 times more frequent among torture survivors compared with non-tortured asylum seekers. Among torture survivors 63% met the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. Identification of torture survivors is essential in order to initi­ ate medical treatment and support.

(Source: Amnesty International/Danish Red Cross, 2008).

FRIRUM

Trauma and PTSD

All parents worry about their children, but when you are a refugee, then it is a bit different.

FRIRUM is a free service from the Danish Red Cross and the organisation SIND to provide counselling for care­ givers of children and young people with refugee backgrounds. FRIRUM provides space and support so that everyday concerns are reduced and everyday life becomes a little easier.

For more information see: www.frirum.info

Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter a person’s sense of security, making them feel helpless and vulnerable in a dangerous world.

Traumatic experiences result from ❚❚ violence or injury or from having been threatened with vio­ lence or injury ❚❚ witnessing another’s death or threats against the other’s life. ❚❚ having personal limits exceeded, either physically or psychologically

Symptoms of emotional and psychological trauma Following a traumatic event, most people experience a wide range of physical and emotional reactions. It is important to remember that these are NORMAL reactions to ABNORMAL events.

Emotional symptoms of trauma include: ❚❚ Shock, denial, or disbelief ❚❚ Anger, irritability, mood swings ❚❚ Guilt, shame, self-blame ❚❚ Feeling sad or hopeless

❚❚ Confusion, difficulty concentrating ❚❚ Anxiety and fear ❚❚ Withdrawing from othexrs ❚❚ Feeling disconnected or numb

Physical symptoms of trauma: ❚❚ Insomnia or nightmares ❚❚ Being startled easily ❚❚ Racing heartbeat ❚❚ Aches and pains

❚❚ Fatigue ❚❚ Difficulty concentrating ❚❚ Edginess and agitation ❚❚ Muscle tension

These symptoms and feelings which may be diagnosed as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) typically last from a few days to a few months, gradually fading as the person processes the trauma. But even when they are feeling better, they may be troubled from time to time by painful memories or emotions—especially in response to triggers such as an anniversary of the event or an image, sound, or situation that reminds them of the traumatic experience.

For further information see: http://helpguide.org/mental/emotional_psychological_trauma.htm

New times | DECEMBER 2010 | issue # 80 | page 3

Happy birthday – sweet fifteen!

New Times celebrates its 15-year jubilee this year. Over the years it has transformed from being an asylum centre newsletter into a nationwide magazine and a modern webpage. Furthermore the team also provides an information service (The asylum seekers’ information group, ASIG) which goes out to schools and answers enquiries from students, researchers and the public. New Times interviewed Karen-Inger Thorsen, the present editor in chief, to talk about how it all began and how far it has come.

❚❚By Legend and Patricia A magazine for the Danish Red Cross

Job card

Legal Letters

Asylum seekers and immigrants are tickled pink with the idea of obtaining a job card. New Times gives you detailed information on the package.

Page 6

Asylum Centers • September 2002 • Issue #43

Want2Work

Confused with all the latest changes and proposals? Dansk Flygningehjælp has answered seven very relevant questions.

Page 5

Bertel Haarder

A new program that prepares asylum seekers for the Danish labor market. Asylum seekers all over Denmark are asking about it. Read more information on the new program. Page 10

“We want to turn the whole system upside down. Work participation is the road to respect an and self-respect,” says Minister of Integration. Page 2

WANT 2 WORK

The professious saylumseeker have reported to Danish Red Cross.

A magazine produced

by asylum seekers

living in the Danish

Red Cross Asylum

Centres > April 2008>issue

# 73

PreParing for the future

ty: facing reali interview with asylum head of the Jørgen dePartment, chemnitz P3 med getting infor “on the run” P 14 want2work training for the future P6

service immigrationProJect on the iraq P 11

A magazine by the Danish Red Cross Asylum Centers ° September 2003 ° Issue # 53

Editor’s role

Karen-Inger has been involved in the production for all of the 15 years. First she was involved in sourcing finances for the newspaper and it was only two years ago she assumed the duties of the editor in chief. We asked her about the main challenges of being editor in chief: “Meeting the deadline! I always get the proofs at the very last minute and I have to read them over the weekend,” and added, “I think it is important that it is the asylum seekers’ paper and that they make the decisions. It is only if there is something lacking or missing that I will make suggestions.”

Censorship

Repatriation, integration or back on the run?

Read this month's theme, pages 4-13

Life after the asylum centre

Photo: Nurali

“New Times started when a small group of asylum seekers began writing a newsletter to inform other asylum seekers about what was going on in Sandholm Centre. Then, when the Red Cross Culture House in Christianshavn opened Jørgen Chemnitz, the then head of the asylum department, proposed that New Times should be a newspaper for people all over the country who were interested in hearing about asylum seekers. Thus the New Times newsletter from Sandholm became a larger activity open to all asylum seekers to get involved in.” Karen-Inger says.

I asked Karen-Inger about the accusations of censorship.

“There have been many discussions about this. Most of the articles have been edited, for instance, if they are too long or too one-sided we have discussed this with the writers.

Every time you take something away you could call it editing or censorship if you want to see it that way.”

She clarifies further:“We have not stopped stories that, for instance, criticise the Red

page 4 | issue # 80 | DECEMBER 2010 | New times

Cross, politics or government policy. Even though Red Cross is independent and non-political, it gives the voice to the asylum seekers to say what they want.

New Times’ influence

On the influence New Times has had on the Red Cross, on society and in the wider world Karen-Inger says, “Sometimes the staff of the Danish Red Cross feel offended by some of the stories published in the paper; for instance those written about the quality of the health service, the kindergarten or schooling. After a critical article, there are always meetings by the staff to try and address the issues raised. New Times is a good watchdog on what is going on in the Red Cross.”

New Times is also a door to information about asylum in Denmark, Karen-Inger explained, “When journalists or others phone to Sandholm for news, they get the Red Cross point of view, whereas New Times and ASIG give the asylum seekers’ point of view.”

Reflecting on the current debates about foreigners in Denmark, Karen-Inger says, “We have failed with the work we have been doing. But it is important to remember that one little paper cannot change the whole world. But every little stone we throw into the water sends out ripples and has some effect. We have to keep trying and keep bringing information.”

Deep impact

Over the years, New Times has been the inspiration for others to make their own papers, for instance, ‘ID Zone’ in Centre Sigerslev. While on the European level there is ‘New Voices’ in Scotland and there was ‘Right to Write’ in Belgium.

New Times is an important mouth-piece for asylum seekers, but, according to Karen-Inger there is an implied message that should not be overlooked:

“The fact that asylum seekers have the ability to write and publish New Times shows that they can do something for themselves. They are resources and not victims and that makes a big difference. Asylum seekers in Denmark have little control over their daily lives, but here at New Times, they have control.”

Of the future

“The future of New Times ultimately rests on the financial support it receives and just now it is very, very hard indeed to find money for New Times.” On the other aspects Karen-Inger says: “I leave it to the journalists to decide. When New Times started it mainly addressed the residents of the centres, but it is now more outward looking.

This is something that needs a rethinking. If you want my opinion, then I can say that I like the new format, now it feels like a magazine. There is still too much text though! But I like New Times, and everybody does. It’s a great thing to have to give to visitors. The Red Cross is very proud of it!”

A magazine produced by

asylum seekers living in the

Danish Red Cross Asylum

Centres >December 2005>issue

# 66

REPATRIATION Faith – future or failure?

This issue’s theme.

Repatriation programmes have helped asylum seekers get a fresh start in their home countries, but with various levels of success.

Read reports from repatriated asylum seekers.

Asylum seeker took his life facing deportation.

Page 8 - 9

Drawing: Pieter Pauwel Rubens

/ The fall of icarus, 1636,

Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts,

A magazine by the Danish Red Cross Asylum Centers > August/September 2005 > Issue # 65

THE LIFE OF WAITING Many rejected asylum seekers are staying for too many years in the centres causing great danger to their mental health. This issue’s theme.

Photo: Jens Burau

Brussels

New Times 15 years:

From little acorns great oaks grow Diana Algamel who worked at New Times between 2005 and 2006 recalls her memories of New Times and what being involved meant for her and her father, Samir Algamel. ❚❚By Diana Algamel Perhaps my dad (RIP), my brother, Mohammed and I feel just the same way about New Times, but I'll write from my experience.

Living in an asylum centre, doing nothing except waiting for an answer was killing me, it was so hard and depressing; there was no social life at all. When I got an offer to work in New Times, I was so happy - but scared at the same time. I wanted to try something new, but I did not know if I was good enough.

I still remember that I started to ask my dad tons of questions, how, when, why... how am I supposed to write an article? I knew nothing about journalism. But I got to know that you don't have to be a professional journalist in order to write an article in New Times. I still remember how nervous I was while interviewing one of the staff at culture house :–). But with time and practice I was able to write a good article. Our editor was so good in teaching the principles of journalism.

Personal growth

Before working in New Times I remember myself as a shy little girl, too shy to talk to anyone, so it was such a challenge for me. I still remember how

happy I was, when I saw my name written above the article. You feel the pride that you are informing people about different things, that you are a resource for the society, not an unknown person waiting for an answer to your asylum case. Working in New Times was such a pleasure in all ways, it was flexible, and it was the only way to get out and meet different people. We were a family.

Key figure

My dad’s hobby was writing, and he was really talented as some of you know. He had a Baccalaureate Degree in Commerce and Business Administration (BBA). His English language was perfect because he worked as an English-Arabic translator once. He started writing ''Avnstrup Voice'' newspaper [local paper for residents in Centre Avnstrup, Ed.] and he was alone at the beginning. He was practicing his hobby and filling his free time.

His aim was to inform people, especially Danes, about how refugees are living and how hard a time they were passing. And then he joined New Times where he was a major figure for many years, writing articles and playing an active role in ASIG [Asylum Seekers Information Group, Ed.].

I remember one thing in particular; my dad was so proud when he heard that the British

politician, George Galloway, who was a member of the British Parliament, used one of his articles as a reference; it was about refugees and the new rules in Denmark. My dad was glad that his articles were getting famous.

Stepping stones

I feel that working in New Times, and especially ASIG, developed my personality. I was no more that shy little girl, but a young independent woman who is informing people about my experiences. I was 18 years old at that time. Now I'm 23 years old and I study pharmaceutical science at Copenhagen university, it's my second year.

After we got the residence, my dad worked for a while for www.Akhbar.dk, the web paper that reports the Danish news in Arabic. The person who was responsible for Akhbar contacted my dad after reading his articles in New Times. It is clear that through working in New Times my dad got experience and became professional.

A magazine by the Danish

Red Cross Asylum Centers

> November 2004 > Issue

# 62

FACING DEPORTATION

rs Focus on asylum seeke tion with a final rejec Pages 4-9 Photo/Montage: Mohammed

New times | DECEMBER 2010 | issue # 80 | page 5

The neutral advocate Anders Ladekarl, General Secretary of the Danish Red Cross, leads a team of over 1.200 employees and 21.000 volunteers. It’s a challenging job not least because of the criticism by some that the Red Cross is legitimizing the government’s asylum policies.

page 6 | issue # 80 | DECEMBER 2010 | New times

❚❚By Katz Anders Ladekarl welcomed the New Times reportage team and asked us to step into his office at the Danish Red Cross headquarters. We sat down and enquired about the role of the Red Cross in its work with asylum seekers.

His answer was clear: “It is very important for us to divide the issues of the humanitarian needs of asylum seekers and the way their cases

are being treated. These are two very separate issues. One is a humanitarian issue and the other one an authority issue,” he said – and continued after a short pause: “The Red Cross is a private, humanitarian organisation, whose role is to be an auxiliary to the government, meaning that if the government asks the Red Cross to do something, then we are obliged to do it as long as they respect our principals

of neutrality and impartiality.

On the asylum issue Red Cross has one task only, and that is to ensure that the living conditions of the asylum seekers coming to Denmark are the best possible within the limits that we have. We have no say in the actual handling of the individual asylum cases. We are in the asylum work to provide a neutral space for the asylum seekers. Whether they should be allowed to have asylum in

Denmark or not is not our business, but that of international conventions and government policies.”

Distribution of roles

Anders Ladekarl briefly outlined the organisational chart: “There are other organizations that are involved in work relating to how many people should be allowed into Denmark, how the asylum procedure should be, how the asylum policy should be, for instance, the Danish Refugee Council and Amnesty International. Then there are the Grandparents For Asylum, who are about securing asylum for asylum seekers and changing the policies of the Danish government. I think that is a totally legitimate objective, but it’s a different objective from that of the Red Cross. I wish them all the luck. I have deep respect for the grandparents, but we have a very different objective from theirs.

Ladekarl stressed that all the above organisations’ political work is ‘fine with the Red Cross’ – but: “For us it’s a humanitarian issue about how people are treated while they are asylum seekers and we think it’s very important that we don’t mix those two issues because if we do, then we become a political actor. As individual persons we can have our sympathies and antipathies regarding individual cases, but for the Red Cross it’s very important to stay neutral and impartial.”

Always the humanitarian view

We asked how the Red Cross can be neutral and advocate for people facing injustices, for instance the return of asylum seekers back to Greece. Anders Ladekarl replied: “We have a very clear position, we are looking at the humanitarian side of this, it’s not a question as to whether those who are supposed to be returned to Greece should

have asylum or not; for us it’s important that asylum seekers are treated with dignity and humanely. So we have a clear position that Denmark should not be returning asylum seekers back to Greece because they are being returned to humiliating and inhumane situations.”

Advocacy is not always successful as Anders Ladekarl went on to explain: “We discussed this issue [returns to Greece, Ed.] already in the spring, we addressed the Minister, we addressed the Parliament, and the public; we even addressed the whole issue in our magazine. And I must say that the outcome of all our efforts we actually got the opposite effect: she [the Minister responsible for Refugees, Immigration and Integration] increased the numbers that she was returning. So, on that advocacy issue we were not successful. However as you know the Human Rights Court in Europe has now stopped all returns to Greece, which we very much appreciate. Although we would have hoped that the Danish government would have stopped sending because we have it documented that conditions in Greece are not of acceptable humane standards.”

Speaking out on asylum issues

Anders Ladekarl then explained about how the Red Cross tries to get conditions for asylum seekers improved: “I think in the past we relied on dialogue with the authorities. A lot of issues were solved in this way, but we also have to put a little bit more pressure on them by speaking out on some of the issues we are dissatisfied with.”

For instance, in relation to the issue of asylum seekers in Denmark not being allowed to take paid work, Anders said: “This is a political issue but from a humanitarian perspective I think it would raise the self respect of many asylum

seekers and help them maintain their qualifications if they were allowed to work. So, from a purely humanitarian perspective it would be good to allow asylum seekers to work,” he said.

The Red Cross also advocates for an improvement in living conditions for asylum seekers.

Anders Ladekarl continued: “We believe that no one should stay in asylum centres for more than one year. The facilities are okay for staying there for a while, but not longterm. We have been able to facilitate so that some families live in private housing outside the asylum centres.”

On education and training, Anders Ladekarl and the Red Cross also advocates clearly: “We have wishes that asylum seekers be offered better education especially, secondary education, and that they have the opportunity to maintain their qualifications and skills. These are the issues that we are telling the government are the ones we would like to change, if we were able to decide 100%,” he stated.

Information is the key

The Danish Red Cross is working on a new strategy for its asylum work for the next 5 years and one of the focus areas is information, both within the organisation, to asylum seekers and to the public. There are many ways to do this as Anders explains: “It’s important to be very open-minded when you are heading an organization like ours. Nearly 60% of all Danes support the Danish Red Cross in some way and I think we have an obligation to be transparent and open about what were are doing and what their money is spent on. It is therefore important to use new media to get the message across rather than relying on only what the press is writing or on a magazine that is out five times a year. This is one reason I use Facebook. I

have 3000 friends and anyone who would like to write with me and ask questions, is more than welcome. I write updates, I write stories on what I am doing and what the Danish Red Cross is doing. I think that one of the wonderful things about using social network sites is that people are immediately able to react or ask questions or express their concerns, their happiness or what ever and it’s very gratifying that you have a dialogue with people,” Anders Ladekarl said with great enthusiasm.

One of the great challenges in asylum work is to secure enough information for the asylum seekers, he emphasised: “I think there is a lot of information, but there is a lot of confusion as well. There might be situations, like with sending asylum seekers to Greece, where there are good reasons for concerns, but let them be based on facts and not speculations,” and added, “it’s important that asylum seekers are able to communicate with each other and I think New Times is a great newspaper, I read it with joy every time.”

Anders summed up his position as advocate for asylum seekers in Denmark within the framework of the Red Cross’ humanitarian principles: “I have feelings and opinions as a person, but the Danish Red Cross is neutral, impartial and independent, and it is not Red Cross’ task to decide the policies.

But we do have positions on what the government should do to change the policies relating to the asylum centres.”

New times | DECEMBER 2010 | issue # 80 | page 7

VOX POP – A hot potato!

Jainaba Bonjan I think the Red g of us, because Cross should take care a good job so fathe Red Cross is doing handling the as r and I think they are However, there ylum seekers well. them. Some justis a little thing about under the oath wear the uniform being not “in their he of the Red Cross but it is patient becauseart”. Some should be more backgrounds an we are from different from them, so d have different character They are the onthey should bear with us. centers and theyes taking care of the the asylum seek should educate some of up their childre ers about how to bring and fit into soci n and also how to behave ety.

New Times caught a bus and visited different asylum centres. We asked a few residents a potentially delicate question:

Finan of asylum I think the Red Cross should take care nisation. orga best the are they seekers because of them They are doing good job. If not becausestay and to e plac a have not ld wou us of e som may even be dead by now.

Vero Jete I think the Immigration Service, because they handle our cases and even they decide whether they should send you back to your country.

Also when you are sick and you need an operation the Red Cross will tell you we have to wait for the Immigration Service to make a decision. This means that the Immigration Service manage and control everything. So they should take care of us.

Who do you think should take care of asylum seekers in Denmark?

By Mame, Nyang, Sabri and Suleman

Isoken The kommuner [municipalities, Ed.] have to take care of asylum seekers. The reason why I say that is, it seems the Red Cross work together with the police.

Also in the kommuner we could live in flats or houses - not in centres and so we could cook for ourselves for health reason rather than going to cafeteria.

Abdi I think the police, be cannot handle them. cause some asylum seekers are vio in camps like Sand They need someone with skill and lent. The Red Cross and Red Cross haveholm and Auderød every now and theas we can see right now n fig to call the police, so asylum seekers. the police are the hting takes place best to take care of

ld Abdul Jan vernment shous.

Of course the go er ek se um yl as take care of the e living in camps Many people ar ts of pain. I have and suffering lo s in camp and spend 13 months me as much Red Cross help t the Danish as they can, buould give more government shCross, then maybe money to Red it will be better.

Hamyoun Latifi A co-operation betw is the right solution een the Danish government and a Cross mainly helps . Red Cross alone can’t be responsibcharitable organization le for everything. Re earthquake, war etc people going through disasters, being d . Therefore it shou ld be another char in bad situations like itable organisation .

page 8 | issue # 80 | DECEMBER 2010 | New times

New Times are in the habit of forcing the man/woman on the street to face all kinds of subjects. This time we asked them:

Tommy The Red Cross who do not takeis a humanitarian group not be controlle sides, and they should should only rendd by Government. They like, for exampl er service to the needy and disaster ar e, those in war zones breaks. They sheas like floods and out seekers; this gr ould also help asylum help, they leave oup of people really needs protection so th their countries to seek ey should be he lped.

1: Do you know what the Danish Red Cross is and what it does?

2: What is the most important work that Red Cross should be doing?

3: Should the Red Cross be supporting vulnerable groups of people in Denmark - for example asylum seekers? Why? Why not?

and ople with medical ich helps needy pe ld be doing is to render Lene wh on ati nis ga or The Red Cross is an. The most important thing they shouasylum seekers and heath care facilitiescountries. Yes, they should also help ers are different people help to developing y are properly taken care of, the seek. make sure that thelems and they really need protection with different prob

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE DANISH RED CROSS?

Per helps in various The Red Cross ering First Aid and nd re e ways lik of disaster. They helping victims h non Red Cross should also teac h the media how s members throug d help to victim to give First Ai al of medical riv before the ar should help personnel. Theyeless children so m ho e ag runde ve a better life. that they can haso help asylum al ld They shou the seekers can seekers so that e society and contribute to th s in life. chase their goal

By Mame, Nyang, Sabri and Suleman

Jasmina s an Red Cross is an organisation which take persons oath to help displaced and depressed a helping in times of need and they should giveide health hand to the needy. They should prov needy. care, accommodation and food to the asylum They should also support groups likethe seekers because their mission from beginning is to help.

Marianne The Red Cross is a needy in times of trohumanitarian body which is ready aid to victims and ubles. The work they do is to rendto help and protect the to prevent out-break er help and give fir situation in Haiti. It’s st also very importantof diseases in disaster areas, like the really need it. to help asylum seek ers because they

New times | DECEMBER 2010 | issue # 80 | page 9

PLAN B

Adult education is a good opportunity to update ones knowledge and to see things from a different perspective. ❚❚By John Adult education is a hot topic today not only because of unemployment but because our entire society is organized so that it is not enough just to have had a professional education or training.

Today, in post-industrial societies, citizens are constantly required to undergo further training and to constantly improve ones professional skills so as not to get “left behind”.

Thus the increasing importance of adult education cannot be ignored. Technological, social and economic development means that every country in the world is required to take this matter seriously.

All countries must see a fruit-

ful future as being inextricably linked to the development of a skilled adult workforce. With respect to this, sociological considerations play an important role.

One characteristic of historical change processes and globalisation is the development of an increasing number of adult education networks and institutions throughout the world.

These institutions differ from children's and youth’s education institutions in significant ways. UNESCO publications emphasize that adult education is a priority area which should provide continuing education and creative and personal development of adults in a modern dynamic society.

It is a matter of constant

page 10 | issue # 80 | DECEMBER 2010 | New times

development of people as workers, citizens and individuals throughout their lives.

Blessing in disguise

Currently, more and more people are becoming unemployed and it is thus a good opportunity for taking further education. Adult education gives adults a new chance and the possibility for a new life - it's never too late.

It gives freedom and opens up new opportunities.

It's Plan B for all!

My name is John and I attend Danish classes at KVUC [Københavns Voksen Uddannelsescentre, Copenhagen adult education centre, Ed.].

I think it's important for me to get an education in addition to the one I already have as it gives

me the opportunity to develop myself, go in new directions and to see things from a different perspective.

Initially, it was a little hard to attend a new course, but with help from some of my friends it began to go better and I hope it will be a success story.

I have been in Denmark for many years, but have never really had any serious training in Danish – and it's certainly an advantage to learn Danish when you live in Denmark!

The course has given me the opportunity to know the Danish education system and to meet new people. Furthermore, I am sure it will be an important step in getting a job and becoming integrated into Danish society.

FACTS Currently there are 92 asylum seekers studying in adult education institu­ tions external to the Red Cross, for instance, in VUC, technical school, hairdressing school and at university.

There are also 149 asylum seekers in external job training in shops, offices and businesses.

GOODBYE JØRGEN CHEMNITZ! On 29th September Jørgen Chemnitz said goodbye to the Red Cross after 35 years of service.

New Times interviewed a calm gentleman who had a lot to share as he looked back over the changes that he has seen while working with asylum seekers.

❚❚By Katz Jørgen Chemnitz (65) started off as a volunteer in 1967 as a first aid trainer, a social worker for elderly people and working with the youth. After 10 years of volunteering he was asked to work professionally at the headquarters. He started as the head of the Social Office in 1982 when there were around 150 refugees in Denmark, mostly from Sri Lanka, India, Iraq and Iran.

“Back in 1982, before there were asylum centres, the police put refugees in hotels around Istedgade [Vesterbro, Copenhagen, Ed.]. Different families were living together and there was no form of social assistance so the refugees came to the Red Cross offices for help. We sent them to language school and we paid. Every asylum seeker was given a bank book.

I remember, in terms of social activities we contacted different social groups e.g. football clubs to keep them busy,” he said.

Just like now, the then government complained and said that something needed to be done, Jørgen Chemnitz continued: “They believed that too many people were coming to Denmark. On the other hand, we at the Red Cross said that it was something we could handle. Then, the numbers gradually rose as years went by.

Also worth noting is that back then the government was kind

of respectful and more understanding, but this has changed over the last years.”

A milestone

Today there are 19 centres in Denmark for asylum seekers and they owe their existence to Jørgen Chemnitz, who still holds a vivid memory of what happened on August 4th 1984 at 8:30 pm, which he called the turn of events: “I got a call from the Immigration Service saying that 48

seekers are much better compared with when refugees stayed in hotels, especially as it caused a lot of conflict between hotel owners and the refugees.

At that time we didn’t have a lot of professional staff like we do today; we were always not quite ready and sometimes we didn’t know what to do. Refugees would get ill, they had lots of stress on them and many of them felt really lonely. Today we have well trained staff and so we are not so overwhelmed by the refugee problem,” he said.

Speak up!

Iranians were sitting at the police headquarters and that they didn’t know what to do with them. I called my wife and told her there was work to be done - and that’s how the first asylum centre was opened in Holte [Næsseslottet, Ed.]. Food was supplied by the Red Cross and the Immigration Services.”

Jørgen Chemnitz continued his stroll down memory lane: “Today conditions for asylum

Jørgen Chemnitz explained about his advocacy role: “Years ago, the Red Cross asked for schooling for the asylum seekers but the government said, ‘no’ because it thought this would give the refugees false hopes of living in Denmark. When the Red Cross asked for kindergarten care, the government said, ‘no’ because the mothers were free all day and could look after their own children. With all the challenges we had then, we decided to meet the minister of Justice. The meeting contributed to the new aliens Act which was passed at the end of 1983 which stated then that everyone coming to the Danish border was welcome.

[The aliens Act regulated the right of foreigners to enter and reside in Denmark. It was passed in 1983 and has since been amended several times, Ed.]”

At the end of the day Jørgen Chemnitz believes that asylum conditions in Denmark are much better than anywhere else. However: “There are still some challenges with the public in general as is clearly reflected in Parliament, but as compared to how it was before, today there are more activities, kindergartens, and medical personnel are available in the centres and children are allowed to go to school. There is education and training for adults and we have better trained staff - though I still believe there is room for improvement.”

Clearing doubts

Jørgen Chemnitz always has the welfare of the asylum seekers and the staff foremost in his mind and sometimes this means making difficult decisions that are not always understood. For instance, there has been a lot of criticism of the surveillance cameras that are installed at Sandholm. Jørgen Chemnitz explained: “The cameras were set up at the request of the asylum seekers. Previously we had cases of theft and other crimes, like misuse of property, and there was no way of knowing who the criminals were, so therefore for purposes of protection, cameras are put into place to know who comes in and who goes out. I strongly say these are NOT for police purposes, as the myth seems to be.”

The asylum department is

also criticised for working for the police. Jørgen Chemnitz agreed that he has given information to the police, but only in relation to incidents by criminal refugees who were abusing the good of the centre; this was done for the protection of others that were genuine and good asylum seekers. He went on to emphasise: “Red Cross shares nothing with the police about the asylum seekers. We are the Red Cross, we don’t work for the police in any way. It is false to be thinking of us with such suspicion and doubts.” He went on to reflect regarding getting information out: “It would feel nice to read a little bit more about the Danish Red Cross in the New Times magazine so that asylum seekers can know more about how the Red Cross is of help to them and explain what and why we do the things we do.”

The good in the goodbye

Jørgen Chemnitz doesn’t know yet what plans he has for his retirement: “I had planned to retire a month ago but was just so busy with many things here in the office. Anyway I will have to see where things will lead me.

I am both happy and sad and I am going to miss meeting new people. Of course I will miss the staff too, they are the most important tools in the asylum work,” Jørgen Chemnitz concluded.

New times | DECEMBER 2010 | issue # 80 | page 11

The Human Face of Migration ❚❚Suleman and Patricia

page 12 | issue # 80 | DECEMBER 2010 | New times

New times | DECEMBER 2010 | issue # 80 | page 13

UN HUMAN RIGHTs DAY 10 DECEMBER

The theme for Human Rights Day 10 December 2010 is “Human rights defenders who act to end discrimination.�

Human rights defenders acting against discrimination, often at great personal risk to both themselves and their families, are being recognized and acclaimed on this day. Human rights defenders speak out against abuse and violations including discrimination, exclusion, oppression and violence.

They advocate justice and seek to protect the victims of human rights violations. They demand accountability for perpetrators and transparency in government action.

page 14 | issue # 80 | DECEMBER 2010 | New times

In so doing, they are often putting at risk their own safety, and that of their families. Some human rights defenders are famous, but most are not. They are active in every part of the world, working alone and in groups, in local communities, in national politics and internationally.

Human Rights Day 2010 will highlight and promote the achiev ements of human rights defenders and it will again emphasize the primary role Governments must play in ena-

bling and protecting their role.

The Day is also intended to inspire a new generation of defenders to speak up and take action to end discrimination in all of its forms whenever and wherever it is manifested. The story does not end after 10 December 2010. The focus on the work of human rights defenders will continue through all of 2011. (source: ohchr.org)

DANGEROUS HONESTY Every day all over the world, people face problems because of their sexual orientation. To declare yourself homosexual can be life-threatening in some countries. New Times met with asylum seeker Mr. Nathan Ssembajjweand, who told his story about how and why he escaped to Denmark. ❚❚By Nyang Jobe My name is Nathan Ssembajjweand. I am 31 years old and from Kampala in Uganda.

First of all, I am gay. This is a very serious thing in Uganda.

As a gay or lesbian person, it is hard going through your days, being harassed by neighbours and friends. Additionally, you run the risk if you go out to crowded places that you may get picked up by the police and sent to jail for life or even worse, be attacked and even burned alive.

At present homosexuality is illegal in Uganda, with a penalty of 14 years in prison.

But in October 2009 a private member’s bill was put before parliament which, if passed, will make the penalty much worse: it will introduce the death penalty for people with previous convictions or who are HIV positive. What lawmakers fail to acknowledge is that being gay or lesbian is

not a choice; but something natural and normal.

Underground

I was living in the Nansana Wakiso District next to Kampala in Uganda and was holding secret social and support group meetings for gays and lesbians at my house. My group fought against discrimination, we also went to schools to talk secretly to students, mostly in the villages where the subject is particularly taboo.

As time went by, my neighbours began to suspect that something was going on in my house, because people were going in and out all the time.

However, there was no real proof, it was just a rumour. One day I was in my room with my partner, when one of my neighbors entered my room unexpectedly and saw me and my partner. My neighbour shouted, and within seconds my room was filled with people, and the police were called. The first

thing the police did when they arrived was to dig a hole in the wall and ask me to go on [have sex, Ed.] with the wall. I had to do it because they had guns and I was so scared. It was very painful, and the only thing that came to my mind was how to escape from those guys.

Fortunately enough for me, a window was open and when the policemen were having a private conversation, I just jumped out of the window and ran into the forest. I found my way to a friend in the city, where I spent a few days and he helped me with money and a connection to someone in Kenya.

Seeking safety

I went to Kenya and was there for a few weeks. While there my Kenyan friend managed to get me a Kenyan passport with a visa. With a false identity, I travelled with the Kenyan man to Denmark.

The most unfortunate thing was that when I reached Den-

mark, I never came forward to ask for asylum. I had mistakenly thought that once I reached Denmark, I would be safe and I did not know that I was supposed to go and seek asylum.

One day when I was renewing my monthly bus card at the main train station, I was asked for my papers by two policemen and I told them that I do not have any.

Prison days

They arrested me, and took me by train to the airport at Kastrup, where the main police station is. From there I was taken to a prison (Vestre Fængsel) and the following day I was taken to court and was quickly given a two year ban from entering Denmark.

I was then taken to another prison in Copenhagen and then later to a closed camp where I ended up staying for three months. It was horrible in there.

The food served to us tasted like it was pre-cooked months

before, and the room and the toilets were terrible - it was a very bad experience for me. I had never been prison like that.

I had never spent a night in a bed where even to sleep on floor is better.

Finally I was released to the open camp. I am now a asylum seeker living in Hanstholm.

As of now I do not know what my fate is. I am in the asylum system fase one and am hoping for the best. If all goes well I would like to be a representative here in Denmark and help gays in Uganda with advice and finance.

In the meantime, other gay or lesbian asylum seekers can find help and advice from the Danish National Organisation for Gay Men, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgendered persons, www.lgbt.dk

SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORLD 2010 AFRICA: Discrimination against people based on their per­ ceived or real sexual orientation continued in various countries - such as Burundi, Cameroon, Senegal, Malawi and Uganda.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) as well as human rights activists working with and for them were harassed and intimidated. Some faced arbitrary arrest and detention as well as ill-treatment. New legislation to further criminalize homosexuality was introduced or debated in parlia­ ments across the region.

AMERICAS: Steps were taken to uphold the rights of LGBT communities. Mexico City passed a ground-breaking bill legalizing gay marriage. However, Honduras, Peru and Chile failed to protect their LGBT communities from harassment or intimidation, along with Caribbean countries such as Jamaica and Guyana.

EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA: Authorities in a number of coun­ tries (for example Lithuania, Turkey and Belarus) continued to foster a climate of intolerance against the LGBT communities, making it harder for their voices to be heard and their rights to be protected. Member states of the EU continued to block a new regional directive on non-discrimination, which would simply close a legal protection gap for those experiencing discrimination outside of employment on the grounds of dis­ ability, belief, religion, sexual orientation and age.

ASIA-PACIFIC: In Japan the Prime Minister, during a parliamen­ tary debate, made it clear that his government would not repeal the crime of buggery, which is currently punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. In Mongolia authorities failed to prevent, investigate and punish attacks against LGBT commu­ nities, including attacks by law enforcement officials.

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA: Minorities facing discrimi­ nation included the LGBT communities. In Egypt, for example, suspected gay men were targeted for prosecution under a debauchery law and subjected to degrading treatment; and in Iraq, gay men were abducted, tortured, murdered and mutilated by Islamist militias, with those responsible not held to account.

(Source: Amnesty International Report 2010)

New times | DECEMBER 2010 | issue # 80 | page 15

SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC Head of state: Bashar al-Assad Head of government: Muhammad Naji al-’Otri Death penalty: Yes Population: 21.9 million Life expectancy: 74.1 years Under-5 mortality (m/f ): 21/16 per 1,000 Adult literacy: 83.1 per cent Syria in 2010: The government remained intolerant of dissent. Critics, human rights defenders, alleged opponents of the government and others were detained, often for prolonged periods; some were sen­ tenced to prison terms after unfair trials.

Torture and other ill treatment remained common, and were committed with impunity; there were several suspicious deaths in custody. The government failed to clarify the circumstances in which prisoners were killed at Sednaya Military Prison in 2008 and, again, took no steps to account for thousands of victims of enforced disappearances in previous years. Women faced legal and other discrimination and violence. The Kurdish minority remained subject to discrimination, and thousands of Syrian Kurds were effectively stateless. At least eight prisoners were executed.

Discrimination – Kurdish minority Kurds, who comprise up to 10 per cent of the population and reside mostly in the north-east, continued to face identity-based discrimination, including restrictions on use of their language and culture. Thousands were effectively stateless and so denied equitable access to social and economic rights. Suleiman Abdelmajid Osso of the Yekiti Kurdish Party in Syria and 15 other men were detained incommunicado for almost two months after peacefully celebrating the Kurdish festival of Newruz in March.

They were all charged with “inciting sec­ tarian strife” and participating in a public gathering. They were all released on bail in May and June and were awaiting trial at the end of 2009. Jamal Sa’doun and three other members of a band were awaiting trial on the charge of “inciting sectarian strife” for performing Kurdish songs at a wedding celebration in Derek near the town of al-Hassaka.

(Source: Amnesty International Report 2010)

Unanswered questions New Times sent the following ques­ tions to the Syrian Embassy in Stock­ holm but at the time of going to print have received no answers. ❚❚ How are the Kurds represented in the Syrian government? ❚❚ If represented: Are they represented proportionally? If not: Why? ❚❚ What rights do the Kurds have regarding freedom to speak their language and teach their culture? ❚❚ How have you determined the extent of their rights? If they are not allowed these freedoms, why is this? ❚❚ What rights do the Kurds have regarding housing, religion and employment? ❚❚ How have you determined the extent of these rights? Are these rights equal to the rights of other ethnic groups? If not: Why? ❚❚ What is the Syrian government’s objection to the Kurds having an autonomous or semi-autonomous region?

SYRIAN KURDS CRY FOR AUTONOMY

The heading might sound a little bit strange and provoking.

But the cry is genuine. ❚❚By Dan Ganda The Kurdish asylum seekers interviewed by New Times said they are tired of roaming all over the world in search of a peaceful environment where they can live and settle down to develop peacefully.

“Syria is a non-democratic country with authoritarian dictatorial powers bestowed on the presidency. The president has imperial powers to rule the country single-handed and supported by the Arab community who are basically his allies,” said Dr. Mohamed, a Kurdish asylum seeker from Syria.

“The Kurds are migrating on a daily basis mostly in the direction of Eastern and Western Europe and some to the Americas. It could be said that economic reasons have triggered the exodus, but the truth of the matter is that the government of Syria has been treating the Kurds in an inhuman way and views them as second class citizens. They see the Kurds as immigrants from other countries who should not have the same rights as the other inhab-

page 16 | issue # 80 | DECEMBER 2010 | New times

itants. That led to the stripping of over 300,000 Kurds of their citizenship.”

No rights

The information gathered from experts on Syria produces more sad stories. One of them, Mr. Saman Zaki, Kurdish expert and historian from Iraq and at present lecturer at Copenhagen University, said during New Times’ interview with him, “In Syria the Kurds have very limited representation in the government and the presidential powers are enormous so that any word from the president is treated as the law. The country is ruled by the Baath party and everyone is obliged to join.”

He went on: ”A clear example is naming a baby. Kurdish names are outlawed because the government does not recognise those names when it comes to registration, so most people opt for two names, one Arabic and a second that is Kurdish; the former is official and the latter is traditional”.

Mr. Zaki explained that there has been some level of torture

metered out on people with views divergent from those of the government.

“The actions and behaviour of the ruling government are so constant that the only way for the Kurds to secure their most basic political, economic and social rights would seem to be regional autonomy. The Syrian government is hell bent on creating an Arabic nation state where all citizens have to consider themselves Arabs and nothing else.”

Keeping up repression

Mr. Fahran Hassan, who is an asylum seeker in Auderød, says: “The government of Syria has given the Arabs more resources than the Kurds in terms of schools, good housing units and general settlements, loans and other necessities at their disposal. However, the situation in Syria is so dire that no one would attempt to raise any question or even think of challenging the government on those matters because the consequences are so grave. You will end up in prison or maybe be put to death.”

It seems that the Syrian Kurds will continue to be forced to flee their country until either they are recognised as citizens in their country - which seems very unlikely, or until they have some autonomy - which also seems unlikely.”

FROM THE FRYING PAN TO THE FIRE

The situation in the capital city of Somalia is now out of hand to the extent that news source Real Clear World has announced Mogadishu as 2010’s most dangerous city in the world. But the people who are fleeing the place will not always find the security they were hoping for. ❚❚By Mohamed Somalia is a place where road side bombings, suicides and merciless killings are the order of the day. But to rub salt into the injury there is a new form of punishment for the unfortunate residents of the forgotten city: harsh Islamic rules known as the Sharia law. Whoever refuses to join the Holy war (jihad) is being labeled as “Murtad” which is a person who has denounced Islam. The best reward for that is punishment to be shot or hanged without any trial or right to appeal.

People are undergoing threats of torture and unlawful public killings including stoning to death, amputation and floggings under the pretext of maintaining law and order - according to Amnesty International.

To escape these atrocities many flee with the belief that coming to a part of the world with democracy where equality and justice will ease their problems and open up a new world and a prosperous chapter in their lives.

Hopes

Reality is quite the reverse, explained Ilyas Ahmed Mohamed with whom New Times met in Center Sandholm.

Ilyas is a very good looking young man who had a lot of faith when he first come in Sandholm but now it seems that he has lost hope of having a life here. This is what he had to say, “I came to Denmark on 25th of December 2008. To be honest I had a lot of positive feelings about Denmark and believed that it is one of the lands of opportunity, justice and equality for all. I was welcomed well by the Danish Red Cross whom gave me shelter and other basic needs and the opportunity to join school. With all this I was hundred percent sure that I was now safe having the opportunity to shape my life the way I wanted. Unfortunately now my hope is now zero percent.”

Dashed hopes

Ilyas: “I left my home country because of risk to my life which I explained to the Danish Immigration Service, but was so unfortunate that they refused my application. What I was saying was totally unacceptable and they said that I could survive the day to day calamities in Somalia. The Danish Immigration Service informed me that I should leave the country in the soonest time possible or the police will forcefully get me out of Denmark.

As well known to the world today

Somalia is referred to as the next al Qaeda base after Afghanistan. It’s under the control of the Islamic insurgents who really punish the Somali people in an inhuman way. This is the main reason why I left my country basically for the fear of al Shabab. It is known you either take the commands or face the Islamic movements and that means you will have to choose between torture and death.”

SOMALI REPUBLIC Head of state of Transitional Federal Government: Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed Head of government of Transitional Federal Government: Mohamed Ali Mohamed Farmajo Head of Somaliland Republic: Ahmed Mohamed Silanayo Death penalty: retentionist Population: 9.1 million Life expectancy: 49.7 years Under-5 mortality (m/f ): 186/174 per 1,000 SOMALIA 2010: Armed conflict between armed groups and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces continued despite the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops in Jan­ uary. Thousands of civilians were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced by indiscriminate warfare, bringing the number of people internally displaced since 2007 to up to 1.55 million. The humanitarian crisis deepened, com­ pounded by insecurity and threats against aid agencies. Humanitarian workers, journalists and human rights activists faced considerable risks, including killings and abductions, in the course of their work. Serious human rights abuses, including war crimes, remained unpunished.

(Source: Amnesty International Report 2010)

New times | DECEMBER 2010 | issue # 80 | page 17

Falling foul of the Dublin regulation

Throughout Europe many asylum seekers are caught up in the Dublin II regulations with the result that they spend extended periods within the asylum systems in different countries. This affects their mental health and wastes their time. ❚❚OPINION by Biniam According to the agreement between European countries (the so-called “Dublin II” agreement), all asylum seekers are to be returned to the country where they first entered Europe.

If you have been registered in an EU country and your fingerprints were taken, the images are stored either digitally or on paper in the European wide "Eurodac" database. The authorities can now quickly find out that you have been registered in another country.

The European responsibility

sharing system, is enforced to prevent “asylum shopping.”

The system is based on a variety of criteria for determining which European asylum state is responsible. The aim is to avoid double or multiple applications from the same asylum seeker. If you have first been in another country they will probably try to deport you back there. But as I found out to my cost, fingerprints are one thing, but you should not forget your footprints!

My story

First of all when I left my

country I chose Norway as my target asylum country because I had heard that the chances of becoming a recognized refugee are higher than in other European countries. In Norway the asylum system is seen as being fair and open. For even within the common European framework of agreements on asylum, there are big differences between the different national asylum policies.

I also thought that I understood the Dublin system and therefore, I decided to show all the documents which revealed my identity, like my passport

because I believed that if I let them to know my real identity and be there legally, my case would be treated smoothly and they would trust the genuine problem that I have. Unfortunately, the situation I faced in Norway was a paradox. Instead of appreciating that I showed my identity and documents the Norwegian immigration authority just told to me that the application has to be treated under the Dublin Regulation II and the case should be handled by another European nation.

It turned out that even though I didn’t have finger-

prints taken in the first safe country I did have an airport transit visa, and that visa was considered equal to a “fingerprint”.

The travel route

In 2007 I travelled from my country to Amsterdam, where I was in transit and then on to Geneva. I had a visa for Switzerland (non Schengen state) and everything was totally legal.

After my business in Geneva, I took a plane from Geneva to Copenhagen, where I spent 30 minutes in transit, before flying on to Oslo. And then I applied for asylum in Norway international Airport.

I thought I had done the right thing. I had taken note of an example on the asylumlaw. org website, which gives an example, “Maria from Cuba has booked a flight to Russia via Madrid and Paris. She has to change plane first in Madrid and then in Paris. She applies for asylum at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport at the border controls for people who want to leave the international transit area and enter France. France has to examine the application. It cannot say that it is not responsible even though Maria could have asked for asylum at the Madrid airport as well. In Information and references Danish Refugee Council Free legal counseling for asylum seekers every Wednesday from 13:00 15:00 you need to present your ques­ tions in Danish or English. They work with all aspects of the refugee cause.

Legal Counseling Unit, Asylum Department Borgergade 10, 3rd floor 1300 Copenhagen K. Tlf: 3373 5000 email: drc@drc.dk Refugees Underground (Flygtninge Under Jorden) Advice and help to refugees (legal and illegal) every Wednesday 15.00-19.00 Phone 50558011 or show up at Dronningensgade 14, Christianshavn www.flygtningeunderjorden.dk email: kontakt@flygtningeunderjorden.dk Link to Dublin II regulation: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/ Other information: www.asylumlaw.org

page 18 | issue # 80 | DECEMBER 2010 | New times

Legal letters I am an asylum seeker and I have been rejected twice but now my case has been re-opened. Is there any way of knowing how long is it going to take to process my case again?

Congratulations on the re-opening of your case. The Refugee Board prioritises new cases, so if your asylum case has already been processed once or twice you can expect a long processing time before you get a decision. However, the Refugee Board always decides cases before the applicant risks being send out of Denmark.

I am married in the traditional manner in my home country, if I get asylum, will my marriage be recognized for family reunification? the context of Dublin II Maria has not ”entered Spain” or ”entered the European Union” just because she changed her plane in Madrid.

Wrong assumption

I thought Maria’s situation was directly related with my case; pursuant to Dublin II neither Denmark nor Netherlands would be the responsible for my asylum case because the visa type I had allowed two transits in any Schengen state at an international airport. Indeed, that is why the Netherlands refused responsibility for me in the context of Dublin II art.12, even though the visa was issued by them.

However; I received a letter from UDI (Norwegian Immigration Authority) stating that I had illegally crossed the border and had entered Denmark first which meant they wanted to send me to Denmark. They referred to article 10 (1) i.e. where it is established, on the basis of proof or circumstantial evidence that an asylum seeker who has irregularly crossed the border into a Member State by land, sea or air having come from a third country, the Member State thus entered shall be responsible for examining the application for asylum.

What had happened was that while in transit in Copenhagen a passport control officer had stamped my airport transit visa – which he should not have done.

But the outcome was that this stamp was taken as proof of my having entered Denmark – which technically I did not, because I was only in transit.

Eventually, after five months the Danish authorities accepted responsibility for handling my case and so, instead of treating me like a new asylum seeker in Norway, they sent me back to Denmark. What a waste of time!

of the rules. And if officials make mistakes (like stamping your transit visa) make sure that you try and sort it out as soon as possible. The bureaucratic and legal procedures in different countries are complicated and change often. You’ll need to contact people who have experience with the legal questions involved.

Most likely, you will need a qualified lawyer who has handled “Dublin II cases” in the past.

If possible, contact people who can give you advice before you leave your country. Any information you give to the authorities, especially about your escape route, may be taken into consideration and used against you in further asylum proceedings. Think carefully about how you describe your journey before you go to the first interview. Fingerprints are not the only way the authorities can prove your presence in another country and justify your deportation! Stamps in your passport, plane tickets and visas are like footprints and may be considered proof that you have been in another EU country.

No. A marriage is only recognized as grounds for family reunification if you are legally married. However - if you and your spouse have been living together for at least 18 months before you apply for family reunification it will have the same judicial effect as if you were legally married.

We are both gay asylum seekers and because of this it is not safe for us in our home country. Can we be granted residence permit based on persecution because of our sexuality?

Yes. Protection from persecution because of ones sexuality is one of the protection criteria listed in the Refugee Convention (Geneva Convention) in Art. 1A (2). Asylum can be granted in cases of : "(...) well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion,(...)" Sexuality is considered to be included in the term "particular social group".

I am a 22 year old asylum seeker. I am pregnant by a Dane. Will I be able to marry him? If not what will happen to me and the baby?

however possible to apply for dispensation at the municipality where your partner lives or in the municipality where your asylum centre is situated.

The municipality will assess whether you should be allowed to get married. You can find more information on the specific criteria for dispensation to marriage at The Department of Family Affairs on the following web page: www.familiestyrelsen.dk After you have been married you can apply for family reunification. The current rules state that you have to be more than 24 years of age to get family reunification in Denmark unless your spouse cannot return to your home country with you. There are some new rules on their way concerning family reunification and these rules will probably enter into force in the beginning of 2011. Before the rules are finally decided it is not possible to give advice based on the new rules.

ASK US Have you any questions?

Write to: New Times Red Cross House H.C.Ørstedsvej 47, 1879 Frederiksberg C Or email us at: newtimesdk@gmail.com Please feel free to ask your questions anonymously.

You can also contact: Dansk Flygtningehjælp Legal Counselling Unit Asylum Department Borgergade 10 Postbox 53 1002 Kobenhavn K www.drc.dk Email:advice@drc.dk Free Legal Counselling for asylum seekers every Wednesday from 13:00-15:00 You need to present your questions in Danish or English.

It is not possible to get married in Denmark unless both parties have legal stay. It is

Advice for you

My message to asylum seekers and potential asylum seekers is be aware

New times | DECEMBER 2010 | issue # 80 | page 19

ALL (IS NOT) QUIET ON THE MIGRATION FRONT A new research project by DIIS (Danish Institute for International Studies), entitled “The Migration Industry”, is currently bringing together researchers from all over the world, with widely different academic backgrounds, to examine the often problematic side-effects of current migration policies. New Times journalist Mohamed met up with two of the senior researchers, PhD. in International Law and MSc in Refugee Studies, Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen, and PhD. in Cultural Sociology / Social Anthropology Ninna Nyberg Sørensen, to have a chat about their work ❚❚By Mohamed

New Times: What is the aim of this project and what have you found out so far?

Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen: For many years we have been working on migration research from different perspectives and within different academic disciplines. And what we have seen is that there has been a fundamental shift in how migration control is being organised. Not just in terms of the policies - we are increasingly outsourcing and privatising migration control functions, for example detention centres are more often being run by corporate companies - but also in the so-called ‘irregular’ fields. Human smuggling, for instance, is the fastest growing form of international crime. This is not to say that it is necessarily organised in huge networks, but certainly there are ‘industries’ emerging for both regular and irregular migration.

Ninna Nyberg Sørensen: The same laws and regulations trying to control migration, are in a way feeding the industries of smuggling. The only way asylum seekers [who have the human right to seek asylum in a safe country, Ed.] can cross borders in order to get to get to safety is by using the services of these clandestine providers of knowledge on how to cross, whom to bribe etc. It’s this whole complexity of issues working together that we are interested in exploring more.

NT: Where do you see this whole scenario heading?

TGH: It’s difficult to say as it’s not a onedirectional process. What’s interesting is how the regular and irregular systems of migration are interrelated. For example, if you are an engineer and you want to come and work in Europe, you go through certain corporate entities that know how to get you the visa etc. If you

are a Guatemalan migrant and want to work in Spain, you go through not the same, but similar kinds of corporate entities to get into Europe, be it ‘regularly’ or ‘irregularly’ with a fake visa or passport.

NNS: The interesting thing is that there are parallel formal and informal, legal and illegal entities carrying out very similar functions with very similar outcomes, but of course with different repercussion for the people who will be labeled as ‘legal’ or ‘illegal’ migrants. One consequence is that it has became ever more dangerous to cross borders. We put peoples’ lives at risk by putting up barriers, physical ones and policy-wise. The dangers involved in crossing borders is increasing and that at least is a very concrete outcome that we should act upon.

TGH: We’re seeing how different migration industries feed into each other. The simple fact that they now utilize private airline companies to do document checks makes it impossible for many people to take an ordinary plane to Europe. This means that you are forcing people to use other providers of services in order to get there. The expansion and outsourcing of European migration control is directly related to the emergence of longer routes, and to make use of networks that facilitate travels that may be more dangerous.

NT: So you are not in favour of border privatisation?

NNS: We are not politicians and we are not an NGO. When I do research, I try to put normativity aside. It is my task to lay bare what is going on, to show that these are the intended and unintended reallife consequences of policies in effect. If we claim to adhere to the international human rights declarations on the one hand, and on the other hand employ policies that will lead to the impossibility of adhering to those human rights prin-

page 20 | issue # 80 | DECEMBER 2010 | New times

ciples, well, then we have a problem. I see my role as a researcher to make such links apparent to the policy-makers, so that they can make informed decisions.

NT: What are the latest methods that human smugglers are using?

TGH: Although this is not the main focus of our research, we can see that there are some new trends in this area. One of our young researchers at the Institute is looking on how new boat routes are emerging from Africa to South America, which is something that we haven’t seen before. There seems to be, at least that’s the hypothesis, a close link between both to the expansion of European border control, not to mention the changed circumstances due to the financial crisis in Europe, and the fact that suddenly migrants are embarking on almost unfathomable endeavours to cross the Atlantic in relatively small boats.

NNS: There are many trends developing simultaneously. If the border police crack down on one form of transportation of migrants tomorrow, you will probably see the emergence of new ones the day after. These are very dynamic processes.

NT: In this context, what is the contribution of your project?

TGH: The strength of our project is that we have key researches from all over the world. By pooling our resources we can get a better understanding of how interdependent these processes are. Armed with that knowledge we can then hope that the policies that are made won’t be just ‘quick fixes’. There has been this tendency in Europe to use quick fixes, only focusing on the weakest link in the chain, which is typically where there is also a lot of media attention. Ten years ago, it was the gulf of the Adriatic sea between Italy and the Balkans. Right now it’s the routes between Greece and

Turkey. But it’s not just about understanding how tightening control in one place will lead to new routes opening elsewhere. We also need to look at how the legal and illegal migration patterns are interrelated. If, for example, you tighten asylum rules, you might force more people to go underground.

NT: Does this mean that when the immigration policy in Denmark is tightened, we will have more irregular immigrants here?

TGH: When it comes to irregular migrants, it’s in the very nature of the subject that we don’t have any real documentation from which to draw statistics.

But when compared to other European countries or the United States, Denmark really doesn’t have a big problem. The

“It has becOme ever more dangerous to cross borders.

We put peoples’ lives at risk by putting up barriers, physical ones and policywise”

Ninna Nyberg Sørensen

recent policy changes in Denmark, probably won’t lead to an increase in irregular migrants here. But it will likely lead to a shift, as those who go underground after arriving at the airport, rather than going to Sandholm for registration, will probably try to leave Denmark and make it to Sweden or Norway, where the chances for asylum may be perceived to be better. This is quite symptomatic of the strategies that Denmark and other countries are trying to adopt in order to shift the burden to other countries.

Mechanisms like the Dublin Convention and the European Common Asylum System are still a very long way from creating a level playing field and relieving the Eastern and Southern European border countries. A lot of states’ chief

concern is to avoid the problem, rather than solving the problem.

NT: So, what do you think can be done to solve the problem?

NNS: What needs to be done is to secure more policy coherence. To think that you can regulate migration through migration policies is not only stupid, it’s also been proven not to work. Migration is

not only affected by migration policy, but also by development policy, by security policy, by all kinds of policies that don’t have ‘m-i-g-r-a-t-i-o-n’ spelled out in them. This is what we are attempting with this project: to think more broadly and coherently about how different policies that may seem to have nothing to do with the issue, do actually have a huge effect on migration. And several attempts have already been made. For

the last ten years, development organisations around the world, the International Development Banks and the World Bank have tried to link migration and development policies. They have not been able to do it to an extent where it will really have an impact on the migration patterns, but yes, it is possible. Theoretically, we know a lot about what needs to be done. Politically, however, we have not been in a situation yet where it was possible to get a majority vote in favour of such policy adjustments. Ultimately, it has a lot to do with political will.

New times | DECEMBER 2010 | issue # 80 | page 21

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF AVNSTRUP

Centre Avnstrup is an asylum centre for around 500 asylum seekers who are hoping to be able to stay in safety, and eventually, to start living a normal life in Denmark.

I’ve been among the residents living there since August. This is my account of getting to know life in an asylum centre. ❚❚By Peace I sat down in the service centre with Red Cross staff member, Kathrine Vedel, and asked her what kind of activities the centre provides for me and the other people living here. What

can one do to ensure that we remain positive while waiting for our results in the asylum process?

“People who are residing at Avnstrup center,” Katrine explained, “partake in a ‘praktik’ [internship, Ed.] 10 hours a

week. This gives them comfort and keeps them busy while waiting for the result of their asylum case. Before this service centre opened, people used to wait around in the corridors before going to their praktik.

Now they have a place where they can get together to chat and find out how each other are doing.”

Katrine is a one of the administrators at the service centre, and stressed to me why it is so important to have this service for asylum seekers: “In the morning, people come together to chat and have coffee, before they split up into small teams and head out for their daily praktik. It keeps their minds busy and helps them stay positive“.

Bustling with activity

There are two types of praktik teams with different types of work: The practical teams clean, move furniture, and prepare rooms. They also sew curtains and clothes. There is also a technical team that fixes broken closets and doors, removes trash, and carries out light handyman work.

“There are also many other ways for people to stay busy,” Katrine explained, “We have a workshop with tools where asylum seekers can go and fix their bikes, which is greatly appreciated by people living in the centre. Trips are also organised for the residents, which gives them a chance to see other centre and to interact with new people. We provide books (courtesy of Roskilde Library) to read and relax while enjoying a cup of coffee”.

Finally, she gave me some advice which will prove useful to all asylum seekers: “It’s so important to try to stay positive.

Instead of sitting around being sad, join in and meet other people. Try to stay active at the centre. We want people to take initiative and they can always suggest other activities to do.”

The sting in the tail

Fair enough. To me as a newcomer, this all seemed good and

page 22 | issue # 80 | DECEMBER 2010 | New times

well. But how does one feel after staying in Avnstrup for some time? A couple of days later I met 40 year-old Ibrahim, from Somalia. He has been living in the centre for nine months.

Here is what he had to say: “Back home in Somalia I am an educated man, I have studied languages from different parts of the world. I like almost everything about living in Avnstrup, I am treated well and respected by others living here. I also get to learn the Danish language and learn a bit about computers.

The only thing I don’t really like is the fact that I have to clean.

When I asked why I needed to clean, they told me that it is part of my ‘praktik’ and that it is mandatory and that I would not get my pocket money if I did not partake in my praktik”.

Seems a little ironic, doesn’t it?

Opening up the house

Another important activity occurred while I was working on this story - the yearly Open House event at Avnstrup. This year it was held on the 5th of September. Coffee, cake, barbecue and snack stalls were opened up for people throughout the day. Everything was sold cheaply to people from the centre, and a little bit more expensive to the guests. Guided tours were set up from 11:00 - 14:30 to show guests what living at an asylum centre is like. Many people simply do not know what goes on in an asylum centre. The children and young people living in Avnstrup entertained with songs, hip-hop and rap, which was a fun activity for both guests and residents. This year there was Afghan music as well for everyone to enjoy. The Open House closed at 16:00, and it seemed that having the Open House was a day enjoyed by all!

On the same day, a charitable marathon took place in the forest near the centre and the money raised was donated to the centre. Two years ago, the event makers donated around 10.000 Danish kroner, which was put towards setting up a café, and last year Avnstrup

was able to build an outside barbecue thanks to the marathon.

There may be many opinions out there on what life in an asylum centre is like. My first impressions of Avnstrup, however, are now settled: “This is a HOME away from HOME.” AVNSTRUP CENTRE ❚❚ Avnstrup centre is an accommoda­ tion and departure centre. ❚❚ About 500 people live in the centre which is manned around the clock. ❚❚ The departure centre is located out­ side the small town Hvalsø about 20 km from Roskilde.

There is a place in Centre Avnstrup where teenagers go. It is called Club 21 and adults are not allowed. Luckily, the youngsters made an exception when New Times dropped by.

HAPPY CLUBBIN'

❚❚By Peace The sound of music that comes from Club 21 is powerful and has an extraordinary impact that blows my mind. One afternoon, I decided to pop in and find out what is going on.

Inside I met Ali, an 18 year old from Afghanistan. He told me that Club 21 is "the zone" for teenagers, “I enjoy Club 21, it is a good place for young people like myself to get together and just hang out after a day at school.

I enjoy playing billiards, foosball [table football, Ed.], computers, and I also sing with my friends for fun. I go to school everyday and even practice speaking Danish with my friends,” says Ali. I moved on and sat down with Mr. Badie.

Mr. Badie is a gentleman from Iraq, who is, however, now a Danish citizen. He works at

Club 21 as a “Shepherd to the lost sheep,” as he puts it.

Logical thinking

It turns out that the club has the name ‘Club 21’ because of the age group of those that are allowed in - namely young people between the ages of 13 and 21. It is essentially a hangout for young people to socialize and do extra activities to help pass the time.

Mr. Badie says that they have only a few rules that those visiting Club 21 must respect: “Rule number one: Guests under the age of 15 can only drink tea, over the age of 16 you are allowed to drink coffee.

Number 2: Yelling at each other is not allowed. And number 3: People must respect each other.”

There are always people joining in at Club 21, people come and go all the time.

On the particular afternoon

I was there, about 40 young people from a host of different nationalities are gathered. Mr. Badie tells me that he enjoys working at Club 21: “It was a bit difficult in the beginning because of the language barrier. The users of the café can’t speak Danish and most of them were undisciplined and arrogant, but things soon got better and we became best of friends.”

Good vibrations

As the afternoon goes by, it becomes obvious that Mr. Badie understands his patrons well, and cooperation with his colleague, Steffan, runs smoothly.

Everything seems to be all right, including ‘the kids’. Jamal, 15 years old from Iraq, explains: “Club 21 is a great place for me and my friends to hang out at. I have good friends here from different parts of the world and we

like to play billiards together.

I like the atmosphere at Club 21 and I come here everyday except on Saturdays and Sundays, when it is closed. I enjoy singing and playing music. My favourite genres are hip-hop and rap.”

Mila, 15 years old from Azerbaijan, is a long-term Avnstrup resident. She enjoys the laidback atmosphere of the club: “After school I always look forward to coming to Club 21 to relax and have some fun with my friends. We sing, play games and just talk about our day to pass the time. It has been hard waiting for asylum but being around my friends at Club 21 makes the waiting process a lot easier. I’ve been living in Avnstrup for 2 years. Before I came to live in Avnstrup I lived in Jelling for 22 months and I found life easier over there because we had our own small house.

Now I live in Avnstrup with my mom and sister and we hope that my dad will be able to join us soon. I go to school everyday which is so much fun for me and I would like to become a teacher someday.”

Closing time is now approaching and Mr. Badie says farewell to all the cheerful guests. Another day of happy clubbin’ is over.

New times | DECEMBER 2010 | issue # 80 | page 23

AN INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATION Enjoy a new movie by Omid at the New Times website.

When people from different cultures meet they influence each other and foreigners coming to Denmark very much enjoy the Danish Christmas and New Year celebrations. They learn about Santa Claus, gifts, decorated Christmas trees and colourful socks; all common symbols at Christmas.

Naturally, foreigners from other Christian cultures get involved in these traditions faster than the non-Christians.

However, all are influenced by the customs as they are a part of everyday Danish life.

Poem by Mame

TROUBLE IN THE WORLD

Who understands the world?

It is so difficult for us to understand The world is nothing, but full of trouble.

Tomorrow they are fighting, War and conflict because of power People claim the world belongs to them We know not what results - a day an hour or moment.

All the things we see are temporary Even human beings are going to die Let us be united and show brotherly love For a peaceful world and a motherly nation Since we are here temporarily, Lets stick together and build our world.

page 24 | issue # 80 | DECEMBER 2010 | New times

Refugees are good example of people in this intercultural process. Most of them approach the Danish traditions curiously at first, but after a while they accept them and even integrate them into their own national feasts and occasions.

This video by Omid, shows the 2009 Christmas / New Year party at the Red Cross centre, Sigerslev.

Experience the movie at: www.newtimes.dk