REFUGEES. REPORT. LIFE.
NEWTIMES OCTOBER 2013 > ISSUE # 87
THE SYRIAN HEROINE - THE STORY OF A BRAVE SYRIAN WOMAN PAGE 03
SORRY… WHAT DID YOU SAY? - PROBLEMS WITH INTERPRETATION IN THE DANISH ASYLUM SYSTEM
PAGE 04 ABUSIVE WORKING CONDITIONS - A WORKING ASYLUM SEEKER FEELS CAUGHT IN A FIX
PAGE 13 A DAY IN LIFE - PHOTOFEATURE: FOLLOW 11-YEAR-OLD NOUR TO SCHOOL
PAGE 15
EDITORIAL For the last month or so there has been a big commercial sign on my way to work picturing a bowl of porridge splashed out on a table. Underneath the picture the commercial said: “Support families who dream of normal problems.” The commercial was sponsored by an organisation helping children with cancer. But every time I saw it I thought of the stories I heard everyday at work. I thought of the refugees who live in the Danish asylum centers who dream of normal problems. The stories I hear at work are horrifying stories. A father who has not heard from his family in six months. He had to leave his two children and wife in Afghani-
stan after escaping the barbaric wrath of the Taliban. Another story is of a Syrian woman who was caught by Assad’s soldiers smuggling medicine to hospitals in Damascus. She had to endure many days of torture - managing not to reveal any names of hospital staff - before being rescued and later escaping to Denmark. These and many other stories makes me think that these people are just dreaming of ordinary problems. To think again. To sleep again. To start life again. Returning to normalcy for refugees starts with basic needs like protection and freedom. Denmark - one of the most peaceful
nations in the world - has the power to grant asylum and offer normalcy to refugees. In this issue we focus on a problem in the Danish asylum system that causes frustration for asylum seekers. The interpreters being used often have not mastered the languages they interpret. And our research shows that some interpreters are even interfering in the asylum case, which can be devastating for the asylum seeker’s hope for protection. The biggest problem seems to be that there is no requirement of certification or education to be an interpreter in the Danish asylum system. Experts, lawyers, and a
few politicians are aware of the problem. But it seems a louder cry from the public is needed to help secure professional interpretation in all cases - and thus a more fair trial - for the asylum seekers in this country. A fair trial must be the aim when dealing with people who have left everything behind and just dream of ordinary problems in their lives once again.
Robin Ahrenkiel El-Tanany Editor
Photo: Rasha
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REFUGEES. REPORT. LIFE.
NEWTIMES Published by: The Danish Red Cross Editorial Office: New Times The Red Cross School Rosenørnsallé 31, 2nd floor 1970 Frederiksberg Email: newtimesdk@gmail.com www.newtimes.dk Tel. +45 23 34 58 87
New Times Journalists: Yolanda, Rohit, Makmoud, Rana, Sonny, Shokria, Negar, Larry, Sam, Obaidullah, Hamidullah and Rasha. Volunteers: Simon Brix Justesen, Emily Wong Loi Sing and Celia Cullom. Layout: Jens Burau, supergreen.dk
Editor in chief: Robin Ali Ahrenkiel El-Tanany
PAGE 2 | ISSUE # 87 | OCTOBER 2013 | NEW TIMES
Printed by: OTM Avistryk Distributed free of charge to: Asylum centres, Ministries, Members of the Danish Parliament, public libraries, asylum and human rights organizations, NGOs, media and individuals in Denmark and abroad. Subscription: If you would like to subscribe to New Times send us an email at teamnewtimes@gmail.com and we will send it directly to your email inbox as soon as the next issue is out. If you would like to receive the magazine by post send us an email for details.
ASIG: ASIG (Asylum Seekers Information Group) answers questions about asylum and life as a refugee. Individuals, teachers, students, journalists and anyone interested in asylum matters is welcome to send an inquiry. To book the group for lectures, presentations and discussions contact newtimesdk@gmail.com Support: We are a part of the Danish Red Cross adult education and training department and are supported by the Danish Institute for Study Abroad. We cooperate with the Danish Refugee Council and Amnesty International.
Note: Some of the journalists use their real names, but some use pseudonyms because they do not want their whereabouts known by people in their home countries. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are those of the authors and the persons interviewed and not – unless stated clearly – the opinion of the Danish Red Cross.
THE SYRIAN HEROINE The thought of the many families that would be next in line made Rasha keep her mouth shut during several days of torture in a basement in Damascus five months ago
❚ By: Robin Ali Ahrenkiel El-Tanany “It was horrible”, 31-year-old Rasha says when she describes the conditions in the basement in Damascus that served as torture cell for the imprisoned staff of a field hospital. “They wanted the names of the other doctors and nurses that worked in the field hospital”, Rasha says. Helping any casualties in areas attacked by the Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad’s army is considered helping the enemy of the state. And to get the names of these enemies the other medical staff not on watch that night - the soldiers took the imprisoned staff in one by one and beat them with everything available in the room, giving them electric shocks and raping many of the women.
THE SCREAMS
“The worst was hearing the screams from the torture room that was just next to the small cell where we all, around 30 people, were stuffed in”, Rasha says. Among the many people in the cramped cell were two frightened brothers under the age of 10. The soldiers wanted the father to turn himself in to get them out. “There was no room for anyone to lie down, so we made a bed with our arms and lifted the brothers up there so they had a chance to sleep. When the soldiers found out they beat everyone in the room”, she says. At one point one medical staff member broke down under the torture and told the soldiers
that Rasha knew many of the names the soldiers wanted.
SHE KNEW THE NAMES
And she did. As a friendly person, with a smile on her face most of the time and a great interest in other people she knew most people in the hospital. She studied at university and was almost done with her studies to become a lawyer. Her brother was a doctor (who also helped as volunteer medical staff). She had been smuggling medicine, roll bandages, medical syringes and needles in her hair and on different parts of her body attached with tape to the secret field hospitals since February. And after three months she was trained in first aid and started helping in the field hospital as well. And her help was needed. The bombings of the different parts of Damascus leaves an enormous score of civilians among the dead and wounded. “Many of the victims were just children”, she says with pain in her eyes.
21ST MAY
After working for the field hospital for four months she knew a lot of people - a lot of names - when the soldiers stormed the hospital in the middle of the night at 1am the 21st May. Those names were never far away in Rasha’s memory when the interrogators asked for them. “They beat me and asked me for the names. Again and again. They put nails in my leg and connected it to the power
plug with a wire. It was a terrible shock. I did not faint the first five or six times. When I started to faint they threw cold water in my face to wake me up”, Rasha says. The torture lasted for around an hour and a half, before they put her back in the cell for continuation the next day, and brought in another one.
NO NAMES
She recalls the frustration of the leader in the torture chamber when he - after several days of torture - was still not getting out any names of her. “He was furious”, Rasha says and laughs with revenge in her eyes. “It was a victory to see him standing there yelling his frustrations at me and the other soldiers, slamming his fists together”, she says. Her face becomes stern again when she explains what made her withstand the torture.
STAYED STRONG
“When I was becoming weak and was close to say anything to them, I prayed to God and thought of my family. And I thought of all the people who would suffer if I said anything. Many people would be killed. Children would be hurt. When I was thinking like this, I became strong”, she says. After 30 days of imprisonment the building was attacked by the Free Syrian Army and Rasha and the remaining prisoners (three women and two men had been killed during the torture) were freed. Rasha managed to get to
Denmark. She knew about Denmark because her sister lives here with her Danish husband. Rasha applied for asylum and it was granted to her in September.
EXECUTION LIST
She is grateful for the protection by the Danish state but feels bad about leaving the war and her countrymen who desperately need help. But if she is captured again she risks being killed. She has been told that the Syrian Army has put her name on an execution list. Now she has to start her life all over again. Her studies in Syrian law cannot be used in Denmark. “I want to learn Danish, and study law here. I know it is long term planning but my brother has convinced me that I am still young”, she laughs. Rasha plans to one day be a human rights lawyer. FACTS ABOUT THE WAR IN SYRIA ❚ In July 2013, the United Nations put out an estimate of over 100,000 that had died in the war. ❚ In September the UNHCR had registered more than 2 mio. refugees from Syria. ❚ In September the UN estimated five million people were internally displaced. ❚ Last year 822 Syrians were granted asylum in Denmark. From January - July 2013, 732 people have been granted asylum. Sources: Wikipedia, UNHCR, Huffington Post and Politiken.dk
She has saved many lives.
NEW TIMES | OCTOBER 2013 | ISSUE # 87 | PAGE 3
I’M SORRY… WHAT DID YOU SAY? There is a problem in the Danish asylum system that cause many frustrations among the asylum seekers. Some of the interpreters being used are not good enough mastering the languages. Some are even interfering in the asylum case, which can be devastating for the asylum seeker’s hope for protection. Experts, lawyers and a few politicians are aware of the problem, but it seems a louder cry from the public is needed to help secure professional interpretation in all cases - and thus a more fair trial - for the asylum seekers. Theme made by: Yolanda, Negar, Sonny, Rasha and Robin El-Tanany
PAGE 4 | ISSUE # 87 | OCTOBER 2013 | NEW TIMES
INTERPRETER SHOCKS SYRIAN ASYLUM SEEKER Fatima feared her interpreter being Bashar al Assad’s supporter and kept information back during her interview. She was later rejected.
Fatima, a 55-year-old teacher from Syria, felt forced to keep information back during her interview with the Danish Immigration Service in May 2013. She was rejected, and says the interpreter’s influence played a crucial role. How could the interpreter be involved? I suspected him of being a supporter of Bashar Al Assad’s regime, which I fled from. As I was deadly frightened, I had to be cautious in presenting my case. Why did you suspect him to be a supporter of Bashar Al Assad? At the very beginning of the interview at the Immigration Service, we were sitting in the office around the table. My interpreter, a Syrian, switched on his mobile and I could see it’s background picture. Accidentally or intentionally? Intentionally. He was like turning it towards me. I was shocked. I stopped breathing.
What was the picture that upset you so much? A picture of Bashar Al Assad, the current president of Syria and the biggest enemy of me and my family. Did you react and complain to the Immigration Services officer? I was thinking about it, but I was afraid of the consequences if I stopped the interview. What consequences? I was afraid of a possible long waiting time for a new interview, the interpreter’s potential negative impact on the further course of my case or not knowing whether the next interpreter would be worse. I didn’t know whether his real position was exclusively interpreter or police officer or both. You must know, it’s very painful to be a refugee. I feared the ordinary rustling of leaves. Who am I to protest? I am just a number in a big, unknown system. I felt alone against all the rest. Unfortunately my doubt was confirmed at the interview break, when my interpreter and I were speaking alone.
“If my words were transferred to the Syrian regime by this interpreter, it could mean a bullet in my children’s heart.” How did your doubts become true? In the break he started to ask me so many questions about my family and about my local area of Syria. And he assured me that it was unnecessary to flee from my local area where there are no clashes. He proved it by calling his friend in Damascus and then handing his mobile to me so I could convince myself by hearing the friend’s voice.
At that time, both my daughter and son were in prison, arrested by Assad’s army which is well known for their cruel treatment of their prisoners. A single word from my mouth could affect their life. If my words were transferred to the Syrian regime by this interpreter it could mean a bullet in my children’s hearts. So I decided not to mention many important facts. Has your silence helped your children? I think, indirectly, yes. They are alive and out of prison.
“In the break he assured me that it was unnecessary to flee” But your asylum request has been rejected. Do you feel as being sacrificed, your life for your children’s life? No, as mother I am happy - as rejected asylum seeker I blame just one person. Who? The interpreter.
NOTE Fatima’s rejection was changed by the Refugee Appeals Board after the interview. She is now granted asylum. Fatima is not her real name. Her real name is known to New Times.
What did you feel at that moment? That just made me sure not to trust anybody. To keep quiet and save my daughter and son. How could your interview have an effect on your daughter’s and son’s security?
“Who am I to protest?”
NEW TIMES | OCTOBER 2013 | ISSUE # 87 | PAGE 5
INCORRECT INTERPRETATION HURTS ASYLUM SEEKERS’ CASE The former chairman of the Union of Immigration Lawyers says that 25% of the interpreters are performing badly
Jytte Lindgård is an experienced lawyer who has been working for more than ten years with asylum seekers and she is the former chairman of the union of immigration lawyers. She is very familiar with complaints about the interpreters. “Sometimes my clients are complaining wrongly about the interpretation. They are frustrated and blame the interpreter. But in other cases the interpretation has been done so incorrectly, that it hurts the asylum seeker’s case badly,” Jytte Lindgård says.
DISCOVERS MISTAKES
The way that Jytte Lindgård discovers these mistakes is when the transcript from the asylum seeker’s first interview with the Immigration Service is being looked at in her office. (In the Danish asylum system an asylum seeker is not given a lawyer during the first interview. Only if the asylum seeker’s case is rejected and tried at the Danish Refugee Appeals Board a lawyer is given to help).
“When we go through this transcript with my interpreter, we sometimes find these mistakes of wrong interpretation and mistakes. And poor interpretations are a huge problem in an asylum system that often justifies a rejection with the asylum seeker being “untrustworthy” or “incoherent,” Jytte Lindgård says.
ally improved in listening for the last two months, but the number of mistakes by the interpreters is the same” she says.
25% HAVE PROBLEMS
In her experience most interpreters are doing a fantastic job. But an alarmingly high number of them are performing weakly. Jytte Lindgård assesses that roughly 25% of the interpreters are either interfering, inexperienced or have small vocabularies. “Some people who should have been protected in Denmark are rejected, partly - or maybe fully - because of incorrect interpreters. For years I have urged the authorities to listen, when I file a complaint about the interpretation,” said Jytte Lindgård. “Luckily, the Immigration Service has actu-
THE DIFFICULT ART OF INTERPRETING To be a good interpreter you need to master a very difficult art. Professor Eva Smith at the Faculty of Law at the University of Copenhagen, has made an overview of the complicated communication process during an interview with an interpreter. “There are many parts of such an interview, that all hold the possibility of misunderstandings. Even if the interpreter has
understood the meaning precisely, it is not always possible to interpret exactly what has been said,” she says in her book “Asyl i Norden” (Asylum in the North). We bring you here the overview, slightly edited, reflecting an asylum seeker’s interview.
INTERVIEW (COMMON LANGUAGE) : Question
(Immigration’s)
Perception
(Asylum seeker’s)
Statement
Perception
Report
Perception
Interpretation (interpreter’s)
Perception (Asylum Seeker’s)
Statement (Asylum Seeker’s)
Perception (interpreter’s)
(Asylum seeker’s)
(Immigration’s)
(Asylum seeker’s)
INTERVIEW (WITH INTERPRETER) : Question (Immigration’s)
Perception (interpreter’s)
PAGE 6 | ISSUE # 87 | OCTOBER 2013 | NEW TIMES
EXPERT: “IT IS A LOTTERY” Bente Jacobsen, who holds a PhD in legal interpreting, warns about the low standards among the interpreters used by the Immigration Service. “On a scale from one to ten where ten is the highest score - the asylum interpreters are all the way down in the bottom. At least 80% of the interpreters used by the Immigration Service do not have any papers documenting their skills of language or interpreting,” says Bente Jacobsen, an associate professor, lecturer and PhD in legal interpreting at the University of Aarhus.
LIST OF INTERPRETERS
To be considered for a job as an interpreter at the Danish Immigration Service you need to be on the Danish National Police’s list of interpreters and, according to Jacobsen, that is not a task that guarantees the interpreter’s qualifications. “You are asked to show up at the local police station for an interview. Then you will be asked some questions about Denmark, about the function of the police and of the court in Danish. And if you have not been registered for any crime in Denmark the police officer can add you to the list and you can
SHOKRIA, ASYLUM SEEKER FROM AFGHANISTAN
“I am from Afghanistan. At my interview I was given an interpreter from Iran. My mother tongue is Dari, but I understood his dialect (Farsi), as I was familiar with it through my work in Afghanistan. But he did not understand my Dari very well. For instance when I said “brother-in-law” he translated it simply to “brother.” I did not complain about the interpreter because I was so nervous and stressed. When he read the entire interview aloud at the end of the session, I only heard the last part because I was so stressed. The last part had mistakes and we corrected it, but I was too stressed to focus on the rest. I cried a lot during that interview. I could not remember anything.”
Interpretation (interpreter’s)
start working as an interpreter for both the police, the courts and the Immigration Service,” Jacobsen says. “But everything is done in Danish. How is it possible to judge a person’s ability in Farsi or Arabic--or ethics for that matter - in this way? It is a lottery.”
LOW QUALITY OF INTERPRETERS CAUSES MANY PROBLEMS
“Very often these interpreters do not master either Danish or the foreign language well enough,” Jacobsen explains. “Another typical problem is that the interpreters do not observe the ethical rules which are so important to follow for an interpreter. They interfere in the conversation, they are not neutral and in some cases even take over the conversation. All of this is extremely criticisable, and these conditions can result in wrong decisions by the authorities.”
GOING TO PARLIAMENT
Two years ago, Jacobsen set up a group with other profession-
NEGAR, ASYLUM SEEKER FROM IRAN
“When I was introduced to my interpreter I thought he was an Iranian Farsi speaker like me. But after a short time I doubted myself, and just to make sure, I asked him if he was Iranian. He replied he wasn’t but that he spoke with the Iranian accent very well. But in middle of interview he started speaking in an Afghan accent which was incomprehensible and unclear to me. I asked him many times to repeat his question to me. Some questions I had to ask him to repeat three or four times. But since we were already in the middle of the interview, I was feeling too shy to ask the police in his presence to change my interpreter.”
Perception (Immigration’s)
Report
als in the field of interpreting. They wanted to inform the politicians in Parliament about the problems associated with the low quality of interpreters in the Danish public sector. “We invited all politicians in Parliament for a hearing on the poor conditions of public service interpreting in Denmark. Two showed up. Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen from the Red Green Alliance and Özlem Cekic from the Socialist People’s party,” Jacobsen recalls.
MEETING WITH COMMITTEES
to the Minister of Justice. But the question was not about the Minister’s approval of the present system. It was just about how the system works. “And then we did not hear from anyone,” she says. After a couple of months, Jacobsen and the other group members arranged another meeting in parliament. They were given a time and a room, and went to the Parliament to raise the issue once more. “Only two showed up,” she says.
FACTS A recent report “Retstolkens rolle” (“The role of the court interpreter”) from last year concludes that 80% of the interpreters used in Danish trials do not have any interpreter training. The interpreters used by the Immigration Service, the Danish Refugee Appeals Board and the Danish court rooms are drawn from the same list. The report also concludes that a high number of judges in the Danish courtrooms are experiencing problematic interpretation.
In the beginning of this year, Jacobsen and her group members met with three different committees in Parliament. One of the committees was the Committee of Legal Affairs. “The politicians listened and asked questions. All of them were very interested and many were surprised to hear how easy it is to become a legal interpreter,” Jacobsen says.
ONE QUESTION
After the visit, the committee raised a question in Parliament
SMALL MISTAKES - BIG DIFFERENCE
It may not seem like a big deal when a word or formulation is changed. But according to the lawyers that New Times has interviewed, the authorities in Denmark often use an incoherent statement as ground to conclude that the asylum seeker is not trustworthy and therefore should not be granted asylum.
Perception (interpreter’s)
TOO ASHAMED TO COMPLAIN
The asylum seeker has to complain about the interpreter - to the interpreter. This make some asylum not complain, says Michala Bendixen from the organisation Refugees Welcome: “It can be very difficult for the asylum seeker to complain directly to the interpreter. In some cases the asylum seeker just sign because she feels ashamed to say she is not satisfied with the interpreter’s work directly to his face. This is very dangerous because after the transcript from the interview with the Immigration Service has been signed, a complaint about the interpreter is rarely given much weight.
Interpretation (interpreter’s)
JYTTE LINDGÅRD, LAWYER
“In a Somali case we saw that an interpreter had translated “armed forces” to simply “men.” In another case an interpreter misunderstood the word “sick” with the term “on leave” - the word is the same in Russian but the meaning is very different. These serious - and potentially very dangerous - mistakes are sadly very common.”
Perception (Asylum Seeker’s)
NEW TIMES | OCTOBER 2013 | ISSUE # 87 | PAGE 7
JOHANNE SCHMIDT-NIELSEN: “THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT LISTENING� The political spokesperson from the party The Red Green Alliance, Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen, has tried to raise the issue of weak interpretation in the judicial system. She has had no luck so far
How big is the need for change? It is very clear that weak interpretation is a big problem in the judicial system. A recent report from the University of Aarhus states that 80% of the interpreters in the Danish court rooms do not have a formal education. The report also concludes that many judges are reporting about problematic interpretations.
What should be done? We have suggested a long list of improvements in the system to secure the rule of law for asylum seekers - and for other people in Denmark in need of
PAGE 8 | ISSUE # 87 | OCTOBER 2013 | NEW TIMES
interpreters in the courts. First of all we need a certification scheme to secure the quality of the interpreters. One of our other suggestions is to make a digital recording of the interviews. That would make it easy to check the accuracy of the interpretation when an asylum seeker is complaining. How are your suggestions being met? It is like banging our heads against a wall. When we raise the issue with the minister of Justice and the Government, they are not listening. They just say that there is no need.
Why is this so important to you? Everyone has a right to a fair trial - including asylum seekers. An asylum case is often a matter of life and death. We should minimize the possibility of mistakes. What will you do now? We want the government to understand this problem, and we will keep working for better quality among the interpreters. But reform is difficult. I hope a public debate will begin concerning this issue.
WHY NOT RECORD THE INTERVIEWS? Asylum seekers’ right for a fair trial could be improved significantly with the help of a simple and cheap solution; digital recording of the interviews. But the Immigration Service and minister of Justice are not interested. Asylum seekers, lawyers, experts and politicians have all asked the minister of Justice and the Immigration Service to record the interview sessions with asylum seekers to improve the chances of a fair trial. Recording the interview will show if an interpreter has done a poor job - or the complaint by the asylum seeker is unfounded. Recordings would help find justice in the cases where the asylum seeker have experienced bad interpretations.
RECENT MEETINGS
The issue of recording the asylum seekers has been brought up at recent meetings held between lawyers and heads of different departments in the Immigration Service. “The reaction from the Immigration Service is that it is too costly, and that they find it unnecessary,” says one of the lawyers at the meetings, Marianne Vølund. That assessment is wrong according lawyer Marianne Vølund, who has worked with
asylum law since 1989 and who is now a board member of the the Danish Association of Immigration Lawyers.
FAIR TRIAL
“First of all it is not very expensive to buy a digital recorder. On the other hand it is very expensive to start a retrial of a case with the salaries to lawyers, officers and judges,” says Vølund. “Secondly, as a society we owe refugees a fair trial. Securing a certain level of quality among the interpreters is
extremely important for these people. It is a matter of life and death to many of them. We cannot afford mistakes. So until we reach that level, it would be desirable to introduce recording of the interviews so we can correct mistakes made by the interpreters”, says Marianne Vølund.
IMMIGRATION SERVICE: THE ASYLUM SEEKER HAS ALL POSSIBILITIES TO COMPLAIN There are many chances for the asylum seeker to complain about the interpreter during the long interviews, Immigration Service states Head of Division in Immigration Service, Jakob Dam Glynstrup, explains how the Immigration Service is viewing the possibility for asylum seekers to complain about the interpreters. “We do a lot to review the asylum seeker’s statement, and it is a thorough process, interpreting from the asylum seeker’s own language to Danish and from the Danish transcript to the asylum seeker’s own language. We are talking about several hours of interpretation both ways.
ALL POSSIBILITIES
It is not possible to go through such a thorough process without a possibility for the asylum seeker to draw attention to problems with the interpretation. The asylum seeker has all
possibilities to say. “That is not correct” or “I have never said that”. The asylum seeker can always contact us regarding a complaint. Even though we do not have a register of complaints, all inquiries are journalized, and if the asylum seeker rejects an interpreter we generally call for a new interview with a new interpreter as fast as possible.
GUIDELINES
We are very aware that the asylum seeker must feel secure about the interpretation, and that is reflected in our guidelines for the interview. Before the interview we always ask whether the asylum seeker and interpreter understand each other and we always end the interview asking whether the
transcript is a correct version of the asylum seeker’s statement. If we experience any insecurity related to the interpreter during the interview, we stop the interview and get an explanation. It happens that we switch interpreters during an interview.
NATIONAL POLICE’S LIST
There are not trained interpreters in all languages we meet, and we may use the interpreters who have been approved and listed on the National Police’s list of interpreters. We are very aware of the quality of the interpretation and of the importance of the asylum seeker to feel secure and that the transcript is correct according to his statement.”
NEW TIMES | OCTOBER 2013 | ISSUE # 87 | PAGE 9
ASYL CUP 2013: UNITY IN DIVERSITY
All participants demonstrated the value of friendship and fair competition. The tournament was a fair example of true game spirit and unity.
Team Sigerslev is in great triumph after beating team Avnstrup. ❚ By Rohit and Sonny (pictures) “Sport and play is universal. No borders, politics, rules and regulations can stop people’s wish to play and meet in a friendly and warm atmosphere,” said Anne La Cour Vågen, Head of asylum department in Danish Red Cross, in the opening ceremony of Asyl Cup 2013 in center Auderød on Wednesday August 14, 2013. In this very enthusiastic tournament in which people were meeting with and hugging with each other with great excitement and fair smiles, teams from seven asylum centers from Zealand and Jutland participated in different sports events like football, volleyball, cricket, basketball and athletics for three days.The sportsmen and -women came from the asylum centers in Jelling, Thyregod, Ebeltoft, Sigerslev, Sandholm, Avnstrup and Auderød.
People enjoying camp life
OPENING CEREMONY
This tournament began on Wednesday 14 August 2013 on a damp and drizzling evening. It started with the opening speech of Anne La Cour Vågen, in the presence of all participating teams with 200 participants and organizers, and more than hundred of audience of center Auderød in the stadium with two huge football courts, basketball court athletic tracks, and indoor stadium. All dampness of evening fumed away when five young, sizzling, and thundering girls performed Brazilian Samba dance under tremendously dazzling music played by DJ Hamadou. The audience enjoyed the blend of amazing music and Brazilian Samba.
DAY TWO
The second day of the tournament was a very hectic day. There were different parallel sport events like football, cricket, basketball, volleyball, athletics and ladies football. It started with preliminary matches and ended up with quarter and semi finals. Ladies football was one of the most fabulous events in this tournament. It was arranged in a small concrete football court and played between women from the Red Cross staff and resident women of center Auderød. Women of all ages participated in this event. Some men also participated in this event in ladies costumes.
PAGE 10 | ISSUE # 87 | OCTOBER 2013 | NEW TIMES
Football winner team receives gold medals.
An injured player during a match.
A man in lady’s costume during ladies football match
Some trendsetting moments.
THE ‘FEST‘
As second day of the tournament was quite a busy day for all participants, organizers had arranged a big party in the evening to make everybody feel cozy and nice. This party was arranged in the cafeteria. There was plenty of snacks and juices for refreshment and DJ Hamadou was there with his audio apparatus to entertain the crowd. General resident asylum seekers of center Auderød also came to this party. All people at the party seemed to have a joyful evening. The DJ played Kurdish, Afghani, West African and Caribbean music and all people danced and freaked out to their respective traditional music. The party went on all night long.
PRIZE-GIVING
Volleyball final game between Avnstrup and Auderød.
The third and last day of the tournament was also the decisive day, when finals were to be played. All finals were played at around 4 pm, and right after the whistle had blown for the last time, prizes were awarded to the winning teams. Center Sigerslev won gold and Avnstrup silver in the football cup; in cricket Center Avnstrup won gold and Sigerslev silver; In basketball center Sigerslev won both gold and silver; In volleyball center Avnstrup won gold and Auderød won silver and in 5000 mtr. running center Auderød won the gold and Sigerslev silver. All winning teams were applauded by the audience and other participants. Being asked on a reaction to these winning moments, the coach and manager of the winning team center Sigerslev, Torben Sloth said: ”It always feels good whenever we work hard and prepare, play and win within true game spirit and value. All players have worked very hard and therefore were well prepared. They played nice and won, and I give all the credit to the team.“ Zlatan Perusinovic, Head of the referee staff for this tournament said: “all the teams played so nicely, there were tough competitions in all events, and all the teams showed very good game spirit and sense of sport value. I am quite satisfied with this tournament and thank to all the teams and organizers.“
NEW TIMES | OCTOBER 2013 | ISSUE # 87 | PAGE 11
OPEN LETTER To the head of the asylum department in the Danish Red Cross, Anne La Cour;
To the head of the Red Cross Asylum Department, Anne La Cour.
HARASSMENT OF WOMEN IN THE ASYLUM CENTERS
Harassment is a big problem in the asylum centers and something needs to be done about it I think all asylum seekers, especially girls and women, has left behind bitter experiences back home. So they need a secure environment in the asylum centers in able to feel at ease. As a representative of all girls and ladies, I appeal to head of the Red Cross that there should be separate centers or sections for women. If it is not possible to make separate centers and sections, at least there has to be some precautionary measures like an alarm in every room so women can feel safe and secure. When I arrived to Center Avnstrup for the first time after having spent two weeks in Center Sandholm, I was going to wash my clothes late at night. But my roommate warned me: “Don’t go alone anywhere during the night in the asylum center. It’s not safe for girls and women,” she said. From that night my fear started. In the beginning it was only a fear, but soon the harassment would actually take place. I had a room together with another girl on the fourth floor, where there were some single boys and men, who were knocking at our room door almost all night. I complained to the office and the staff gave me another room on the second floor. But then a guy stalked me in the center and in school, and it seemed that he was always waiting for an opportunity to come to my room to fulfil his sexual desire. He was looking at me like he has never seen a girl in his life. I complained to the head of the Red Cross school, and fortunately the guy disappeared a few days after my complaint. But I still have an intense fear in my heart. And I am not the only one, who has experienced harassment. For example, I have heard from a friend of mine that in Center Auderød a woman was in the laundry room to wash her clothes, when two men began harassing her and intended to rape her. Fortunately the men were caught on a hidden camera, and the security guard rescued the woman. Another case is Negar, a 25 year old Iranian friend of mine. She was sleeping, and then around 2-2:30 in the night, she heard someone in her room. A man was standing in her room. He had climbed the pipe outside her window. Maybe he wanted to rape her. Fortunately she saw him in time, so she got up and started to scream, and he ran away. After 20 minutes some neighbors came and later the Red Cross staff came and helped her. I think that if she would actually had been raped, no one would have heard about it, since no one seems to be aware that harassment and assault are taking place at the centres. As an asylum seeker and a girl, it is difficult for me to go to the kitchen or to the laundry room at the asylum centers during the night. Staying and sleeping in the asylum centers is like a nightmare to me because of the mixed gender sections in the centres, and I am really scared of losing my dignity. I came here to save my life, not to destroy it just because of the sexual desire of someone. Men and boys are knocking on the room’s door, they smoke and blow smoke beneath the door of girls room. Sometimes saying to girls “we both are alone, come to my room we will have fun together” (They say it more rude). Many of the men living here are acting like they are desperate for female company. Best regards, Rana
PAGE 12 | ISSUE # 87 | OCTOBER 2013 | NEW TIMES
DEAR RANA, DEAR READERS
Thank you Rana for writing this open letter to me in New Times. The situations that you describe are very serious, and I am very worried to learn that such experiences can be a part of yours and other women asylum seekers’ everyday life in the centres. For the Red Cross it is an aim that all asylum seekers have a safe and meaningful life while they are waiting for their asylum application to be processed, and your experiences shows that this is not always the case. I was happy to read, that you went to the staff at Center Avnstrup for support, and I hope you will keep doing that if you have problems. This is the only way for the Red Cross to know about situations like this, and to react. Years ago we had complaints from a number of single women in our centres, who felt unsafe, and because of that we established the womens section, that is now situated next to Center Kongelunden. In that section, single women and their children (under the age of 15) can live together with other women in the same situation, without having to share kitchen and washing facilities with men. There can be a waiting list for a room there, but don’t let that stop you for signing up for it, that is the only way for us to know how big the interest and need for rooms is. I will contact the heads of all our centres now and ask them to take action together with the residents councils to come up with practical solutions to these problems. When I meet with the heads of centres next time, I will ask them to report back to me, what actions have been taken, and I will get back to you here in New Times. I hope that you and other women at the centres will take actively part in the debate at the centres, your contributions are important. I also hope that the male readers of New Times will take this seriously and help to spread the message, that it is necessary to show respect to all your fellow asylum seekers, both men, women and children. Best regards, Anne la Cour
PROBLEMS FACING A WORKING ASYLUM SEEKER Kassim is in a fix. His new employer forces him to work 12 hours per day and he can not afford to lose his job due to his expenses Working too hard (model picture)
❚❚By Larry and Sonny (photo) Kassim was happy when Immigration Service granted him a working permit for a 37-hour job in a restaurant in Copenhagen. After many years where asylum seekers have not been allowed to work in Denmark, Kassim was one of the first to get a working permit in the country. “I waited for two months for the permission. And when I received it, I was glad. I wanted to improve my life”, he says. But after he started working, his expectations hit the ground. “I was told to start at 11.00 am and to go at around 11.00pm at night. And that is how it goes. Every day. Seven days a week,” he says. He does not dare to complain about his employer. First of all because he does not know who to go to, and second of all, he does not know what would happen. He is most of all afraid of being fired, and that he will not be able to pay for the new expenses, he is being asked to pay for after getting the job.
ROOM CHARGES TO THE ROOF
According to the law, an asylum seeker’s financial support will be cancelled if his pay from the work is big enough to cover it. And the working asylum seeker will also need to pay rent for the room he stays at in the asylum center. Kassim think that the law is fair, but he is very angry with the high room charges being asked by the Red Cross staff in his center. “They are taking 5088 Dkk per month for the room I share with two other people. The amount is so huge that it eats up most of the extra money I receive,” he explains. The majority of the rooms in Sigerslev Asylum Camp are shared by two people. Latrines and bathrooms are shared with other rooms. In many cases the cleanliness of the room depends with your agreement with the roommate on weekly basis, so its up to Kassim to make good co-operation with the guy living in the same room (which
can be changed anytime), no matter who he is sharing the space with.
NO MONEY FOR EXTRA HOURS
Kassim salary from the job is roughly 19000 Dkk before any deductions. But after paying income tax of roughly 38 percent, rent for the room and transport back and forth from his center to the city, he ends up with around 3900 DKK in his pocket. That is around 2000 DKK more than what he received when he did not work. “It would be ok if the work
was only the 37 hours stated in the contract. But I am working 84 hours every week”, Kassim says. “The other asylum seekers do not admire the situation I am in. I feel overloaded but nothing to smile about,” Kassim says.
NOTE
Kassim is not the real name of the young man in this story. He wishes to be anonymous because he fears the possible consequences. The real name of him is known by New Times.
IMMIGRATION SERVICE: “YOU MUST STOP THIS WORK” Head of Division, Morten Bo Laursen is urging Kassim to stop working immediately: The conditions New Times describes is not in line with the work permit. The asylum seeker must stop his employment immediately. He is supposed to contact us, and then we will assess whether there is reason for filing a police report and prosecute the employer. The asylum seeker can also get in trouble, if he accepts the working conditions New Times describes. Both asylum seeker and employer have signed the terms for the work permit. The asylum seeker has been thoroughly guided to - and signed that - he will contact us, if the terms in the contract are changed, and that the permit will be cancelled if the terms are no longer usual.
Why is the room so expensive? Division Head in Immigration Service, Thomas Mortensen explains: “The chosen model follows legal framework. The rent needs to reflect the average costs of housing of an asylum seeker in an asylum center. The rent includes the expenses associated with the management of the center. That includes the asylum center’s expenses for rent, renovation, property taxes, maintenance of buildings, energy, staff and more. The rent can not be compared with the rent for normal housing, because of the many shared facilities that are included in the management of the asylum center, which are not found in normal residential buildings.”
NEW TIMES | OCTOBER 2013 | ISSUE # 87 | PAGE 13
NEWSNOTES MORE ASYLUM SEEKERS IN DENMARK TRAVEL HOME
ASYLUM SEEKERS BANNED FROM POOLS IN SWITZERLAND
DENMARK MAKES IT EASIER FOR SYRIANS TO GET ASYLUM
THE DANISH PRESS COUNCIL CRITICISES NEW TIMES
Due to increased financial support, more asylum seekers are leaving Denmark to attempt a new start in their home countries. Danish Refugee Council reports that 464 people returned home last year - more than double the number in the year of 2009. The increased financial support was a new initiative. Head of the Asylum Department in Danish Refugee Council Eva Singer hopes the Danish parliamentarians will make it a permanent increase. The amount was quadrupled to 125.000 DKK per person when the initiative started in 2010.
New measures introduced in August across Swiss cantons ban asylum seekers from swimming pools, playgrounds and libraries. This change in the local authorities’ attitudes to those seeking refuge in Switzerland has been called “verging on apartheid” by Amnesty International and condemned by Human Rights Watch.
It is very rare that the Refugee Appeals Board, Flygtningenævnet, eases the rules for asylum. But on September 18th the Board decided to give asylum to Syrians from the most war-torn parts of the country. In effect, the rule change means that people from areas where civilians are in the most danger will no longer need to prove they are persecuted personally in order to seek asylum.
In connection with the article “Hard Work Pays” New Times had promised the main character of the article that she would have the article sent for review, before it was printed. However, New Times did not send the article to the main character. The Press Council criticises New Times for not keeping this promise. The full case can be viewed at: www.pressenaevnet.dk.
PAGE 14 | ISSUE # 87 | OCTOBER 2013 | NEW TIMES
A DAY IN NOUR’S LIFE ❚ By Makmoud and Nour (picture text) Nour is 11 years old. She was born a refugee and her father was also born a refugee. She is an asylum seeker in Sandholm with her father, mother and elder brother. They are Palestinian refugees from Syria, from the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus. A refugee camp with more than a 112.000 refugees (2002 figures). “I like school and I want to learn Danish. School was serious last year and I learned a lot, but this
Thinking of the first class of the day and the loss of two years of my school because of the war in Syria.
Leaving the bus to enter the scho
ol
I like sports and tomorrow I am going to riding school to ride a horse
year I am with the beginners again because the pupils move all the time. And only beginners come to Sandholm, so I stay with the beginners,” says Nour. Nour has been in Denmark since the beginning of 2013. “I wish to be granted asylum with my family, and study in a Danish school with Danish pupils and fulfill my dream to be a children’s doctor, Nour ends.
My class friends change always
I wish to be children doctor to help children
Learning a bit more after the break
It is a good start of the day.
Sitting in the bus with my school mates
I am preparing my self for the jump.
Going to the bus back to the center
NEW TIMES | OCTOBER 2013 | ISSUE # 87 | PAGE 15
VOX POP By: Yolanda and Sam (Photo) Team New Times asked:
SHOULD USA AND OTHER COUNTRIES MAKE A MILITARY INTERVENTION IN SYRIA?
Andreas, 23 No. Military intervention will cause more victims. And those countries that would possibly participate in an intervention, would commit the same kind of crimes that are committed by Assad’s regime and the rebels as well. Supporting the rebels means to support Islamist terrorism. It is important to find other solutions to stop the bloodshed in Syria.
Martin, 50 No. We do not yet know for sure that the chemical weapons were actually used by Assad’s soldiers. Could be that the rebels used that weapons on their own people to attract a worldwide attention and to obtain the support by powerful states. Also, there is no plan “for later on.” The world has such disappointing results of intervention in Libya and Iraq.
Jacob, 25 If there is sufficient evidence that the Assad regime is responsible for the use of chemical weapons, there is fifty percent justification of intervention. But I would also like to know what kind of program to rebuild Syria that is provided. Projects of democracy should come along with an intervention, and the Syrian people should be involved in that. So we need to know whether the nations attacking Syria are willing and ready to do so.
ASK A LAWYER
We sent your questions to the lawyers at the Danish Refugee Council. Here are their replies.
1
I came from Iran, seeking asylum in Denmark. Before my arrival, my passport was stamped in Hungary, in which I stayed one day, not applying for asylum. As I have been in Denmark for seven month now, will authorities send me to that country? I’m scared, because I’ve heard that these cases, in Hungary are punished by going to prison, where conditions are more than inhumane.
1
Hi, Since you had your passport stamped in Hungary I assume that you must have had a visa allowing you to enter Hungary. According to the Dublin regulation Hungary will be responsible for your asylum application if they have granted you a visa. This responsibility ends six months after the visa has expired. So Hungary is responsible for your asylum case if the visa was still valid when you applied for asylum in Denmark or if the visa expired less than six months before you applied for asylum in Denmark. Immigration Service will inform you if they decide to ask Hungary to take over your asylum
case, and you will be able to file a complaint against this decision.
2
My South African husband and I, from Russia, have been in Denmark for two years, coming from France, where we lived illegally. Ten month ago, I gave birth to our son. Our asylum application was rejected two month ago. We do not have any documents of identification. If we will not leave Denmark voluntarily, which state will the authorities deport us to? We are afraid of going to any of our countries of origin.
2
Hello; When you are a family it is the duty of the Danish authorities to give you a chance to stay together. According to international law it is the right of a family to be together. But in order for you to insist on the right of being together, you need to cooperate regarding return to either one of your countries – Russia or South Africa - and you cannot choose. Since you stayed illegally in France you will not be returned to France. As long as you cooperate regarding your
PAGE 16 | ISSUE # 87 | OCTOBER 2013 | NEW TIMES
deportation, Danish authorities cannot separate you. If return is not possible, even though you have done what you were asked to in order to return to Russia or South Africa, and if it is evident, that the only possibility you have of being together is in Denmark, then you should be granted a residence permit here. But if you do not fully cooperate regarding return, the Danish authorities can eventually send you to separate countries.
3
I have stayed in Denmark for more than five years and have been rejected asylum. I would like to apply for asylum in Sweden. As Denmark is the first country in which my fingerprints are, should I be returned to Denmark, if I went to Sweden? I am from Albania.
3
Hello, According to the Dublin Regulation Denmark is responsible for your asylum case and Sweden will therefore be able to return you to Denmark, and most likely they will do so. The situation is likely to be the same if you go to other European countries.
Lara, 33 I am always for peaceful solutions. Using force brings new, unnecessary casualties, and all - in the end must end up at the negotiating table. I place great hope in Obama’s efforts to destroy the chemical weapons. When that is completed, serious negotiations can start.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? WRITE TO:
Lis, 52 I am absolutely against military intervention. There are other ways to help the Syrian people. Diplomacy is most important. Syria could also be helped through art and exchange students who could help resolve the internal conflict without the need of bombing.
YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT:
New Times, Red Cross House Rosenørnsallé 31, 2nd floor 1970 Frederiksberg
Dansk Flygtningehjælp Legal Counseling Unit Asylum Department Borgergade 10 Postbox 53 1002 København K
or email us at newtimesdk@gmail.com
www.drc.dk Email: advice@drc.dk
Please feel free to ask your questions anonymously.
Free Legal Counseling for asylum seekers every Wednesday from 10:00 - 13:00
According to the Dublin Regulation Denmark will remain responsible for your case until Denmark has actually deported you or until you have left Denmark by yourself and have stayed outside Europe for at least three months.
You need to present your questions in Danish or English
4
I am from Chechnya. My application for asylum has been rejected. I found a job and I want to ask for a work permit. Is that possible?
4
Hi,As a rejected asylum seeker in Denmark you are allowed to work under certain conditions. First of all you are required to enter into a contract with the Danish Immigration Service specifying the conditions. One condition is that you co-operate with the immigration authorities regarding the deportation process. Also your identity must be
established and the employment must comply with standard salary and employment terms. Since your application for asylum has been rejected you cannot apply for work and residence permit on grounds of the special schemes; The Green Card Scheme, the Pay Limit Scheme or the Positive List.