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A magazine produced by asylum seekers and immigrants in Denmark > March 2010 > issue # 78

BEING POSITIVE:

FROM NOTHING TO SOMETHING P5

UN MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS:

ENDING POVERTY BY 2015?

P6

WHAT WE LEFT BEHIND:

A REAL HISTORY OF VIOLENCE P8

THE JOURNEY TO THE PROMISED LAND:

MISERY AND ATROCITY P 14

Positive Images

Have you ever met a refugee or an asylum seeker? What is the difference? Is an asylum seeker a migrant? How much do we know about why people flee their countries and from which countries they flee?

New Times is the voice of asylum seekers and refugees in Denmark. The journalists are not scientific experts on migration, yet are deeply affected by it, and as such, are experts by experience. And experiences can sometimes challenge our perceptions.

This issue of New Times is produced in cooperation with a European Red Cross project, called Positive Images, which aims to promote positive attitudes among young people and the public towards migrants, while also raising awareness of development issues. The

project will focus on educational activities surrounding migration – the causes and outcomes of migration, including the departure and migrant journey, and the diversity of people who have come to Denmark.

Personal memoirs are given in New Times, and in this issue in particular, exemplify those who have had to overcome huge obstacles. Additionally, the eight UN Millennium Development Goals are presented. The MDG represent the UN vision for how the world could become a place where some of these obstacles no longer need to be overcome.

The 8th. UN Goal focuses on how we must share responsibility for making the world a better place, and an important step in this direction is to promote respect for diversity and human dignity. By promoting Positive Images and increasing knowledge and understanding, the Red Cross hopes to contribute to this important goal of shared responsibility.

Visit www.redcross.org.uk/ p o s i t iv e i m a g e s or www.newtimes.dk for more information on the Danish Red Cross participation in the project.

The journalists at New Times have also cooperated with international students at DIS in creating this issue. This has provided an opportunity for two groups of migrants in Denmark to know each other, and exchange viewpoints and experiences on different aspects of global migration.

If you have comments or questions regarding what you have read in this issue of New Times, go to www.newtimes.dk and add your opinion to the debate on asylum related matters.

NEW TIMES GOES TO THE MOVIES! Experience the truth about New Times. We unveil everything! ❚❚By Omid Right now you are reading the New Times magazine – but tell me, do you know who makes the New Times magazine or the New Times web page? Do you know what they want? Do you know why they choose this

newspaper as the voice for their creativity, thoughts, and feelings?

We suggest you watch the video on the www.newtimes.dk.

We made it for you! You’ll find out who we are, and why we do what we do. Enjoy the magazine and the movie too!

Trainee: Sarah Madsen

The following students from DIS contributed to writing this edition of New Times: Emily Adams, Elisabeth Ampthor, Mitra Anoushiravani, Jocelyn Appleby, Lauren Ballback, Ryan Berney, Caitlin Brooks, Antoinette Carcia, Maren Casorio, Jessica Chia, Maren Delap, Rebecca Driscoll, Daphne Garcia, Nicholas Harvey – Cheetham, Alyssa Heimbach, Ian Higham, Sarah Kaiser, Ryan Kengott, Caroline Kokulis, Kelly Kopchik, Xinyue Liang, Malory Lee, Schuyler Marquez, Phoebe Mckee, Jane Moore, Elizabeth Mott, David Pantaleoni, Emma Peck, Amy Reinert, Samantha Romero, Chloe Shields, Jonni Stormo, Alexander Stone, Kelsey Sullivan, Kevin Sweeting, Jeremy Teperman, Ashley Whittington, Claire Wiener.

Volunteers: Leoné Nowell, Jennifer Robinson

Layout: Jens Burau, supergreen.dk

DIS coordinators: Jakob Lindgaard, Karim Jabbar, Gladis Herst

Printed by: OTMAvistryk

Editor-in-Chief: Karen-Inger Thorsen

Published by: The Danish Red Cross Asylum Department 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 New Times Coordinator: Patricia Brander Editor: Ole Jeppesen

New Times journalists: Aluko, Anosh, Massoud Sikandary, Jan Pêt Khorto, Jimmy, Job, John, Kaosar, Mad, Omid, H. Shirzai, Solomon, Zuu, Zenzo, Ziad On job training: Hashan Usgalhewa Legend Katz

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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.

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 Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs and by the EU, EACEA. 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

BEING POSITIVE:

MUHABET – A PLACE FOR ALL Muhabet in Vesterbro, Copenhagen is a drop-in centre for mentally ill people with immigrant or refugee backgrounds - and their dependents. Muhabet means “loving togetherness”.

What a home of peace! Muhabet is a place where cheerfulness knocks on peoples’ doors to put smiles on their faces. While the purpose of my being at Muhabet was to have an internship, meeting Najib, Emine, Lise and Aminah gave me new perspectives on life. My impression was so positive when I first arrived because everyone I met showed me such warm hospitality.

to enjoy life. I learned how to meet new people, how to adapt to my new environment, and talk with others. Muhabet taught me to be a good host and treat everyone equally. Muhabet also treated me like a guest - a very important guest. I always love to receive tasks, such as taking care of the kitchen, serving at lunch time and clearing the tables after lunch. It’s important to know that at Muhabet everyone is willing to help in general.

My experience

Transparency

❚❚By Solomon

While working as a staff member at Muhabet, I learned a new way

Muhabet is a place with a peaceful atmosphere. It’s so transpar-

ent, as everyone is welcome and has nothing to hide. The main objective of Muhabet is to take care and rebuild the minds of traumatized refugees and immigrants living in Denmark.

Muhabet embarks on restoring the dignities of those that are challenged in life and have feelings of isolation in Denmark.

Heavenly Combination

On average 30 to 35 guests visit Muhabet every day. The users represent 40 different nationalities: mostly Iraqis, Iranians, Turks and Moroccans. But Danes and other Europeans also

drop by regularly. One 69-yearold Italian woman in Denmark, Michela Petersen, unveiled her experience with Muhabet: “I have been dining at Muhabet for two years. I married a Danish man, who suddenly became a ghost after 25 years of living, loving and sharing together. His death was a shock, which led to my illness and I was admitted in the hospital for many days. I longed for companionship and when a co-patient noticed that I needed help he introduced me to Muhabet. This is the best I have ever experienced. The combination is heavenly: Najid, Emine, Lise and Aminah are angels sent from heaven. I joined them as a guest, but now I am a friend, and it’s the same story for the others here. Nothing will hinder me from coming to Muhabet.

Muhabet is a way of life to live.”

Family House of Continuity

An interview with Najib, the founder of Muhabet, gave me absolute confidence of continuity, as he said: “Everyone here is one family and we don’t see an end in a family relationship. The guests are more than guests to us - we are siblings; we eat on the same table at the same time; we listen and share with one another a wild spectrum of ideas. We are equal and as you can see, there is no boss or employee, we are one under the sun.”

A Clear Vision

Lots of good stories have been told as many shared their experiences at Muhabet as their home. Looking at Muhabet’s website (www.muhabet.dk), one can see the organization’s objectives. The organization, which stands for togetherness, pledges to continue to show their endless love in serving the people. Moreover, it aims to ensure a joyful recognition of less well-known groups of refugees and immigrants living in Denmark.

Facts: ❚❚ Mentally ill refugees and immigrants are a marginalized and invisible group. The percentage of hospitalised refugees and migrants is increasing rapidly (currently about 30% of psychiatric hospital patients).

Many are traumatized by a life of war and having to flee; others have developed a mental illness after a long life in Denmark. They are often lonely and isolated - without networks and connections to the local community. They opt out of the common treatment centers and shelters because of linguistic and cultural differences and barriers. ❚❚ Muhabet was opened in 2003 by Najib Haddar and Emine Ayyildizoglu. In the beginning Najib and Emine used their own funds, but Muhabet is now supported by government and private donors. 80 volunteers help in running the place. ❚❚ Muhabet offers - aside from being a drop-in center - for example “women only” evenings, daily meals and homework help. ❚❚ Everyone is welcome in Muhabet.

They like to meet all new guests in a proper way, so it is best to call them the first time that you plan to come. ❚❚ Muhabet, Vesterbrogade 165-167, 1800 Frederiksberg C, phone: 3672 6583, mail: muhabet@muhabet.dk.

Opening hours: weekdays from 12-17, Sat-Sun: closed.

New times | March 2010 | issue # 78 | page 3

BEING POSITIVE:

ALWAYS KEEP GOING! Buba, 28, is Armenian and came to Denmark in 1999. He got asylum in 2004. I met him in the New Times office to ask him what had kept him strong, first during the asylum years and then during the process of becoming integrated into Danish society. ❚❚By John ”Regarding how I’m doing these days, I’m actually doing pretty well. I wouldn’t say my life is perfect - no one’s life is perfect - but I have no complaints.

It’s a busy life… really busy - private life, work life, life in general. I live in the north part of Zealand, a really nice place. It is very environmental and very rich in nature, which is good for my peace of mind.”

Life is a learNing process

”The most important thing that I learned [during my time as an asylum seeker, Ed.] is to recognize the situation; to understand where I am and what I can do. I’ve also learned how to get to know people. Living in asylum centres, you meet people from many different countries and many different cultures. You learn how to get to know a person, which helps me a lot in my professional life. I have also learned to be much more open and to think outside the box, especially when you have a situation in your life with a lot of pressure, you should think out of the box. You should not focus on the daily hard life. Open your eyes, open your mind, listen, do, hear, and ask. One of the most useful things I’ve learned was when I was on a course called ‘Start your own business’; I didn’t start my own business afterwards, but I learned how to start.

Keep focused

”Everyone knows that human life depends on work - working and doing things. Not necessarily working for a salary, it can be anything – for example, if you write something, if you read something, if you help someone, participate, train, do - this is what keeps you strong. It may be good advice for asylum seekers and anyone else in a hard situation. If you have an idea or a dream, you should fight for it - understand the situation and look for people or things that can help. Helping others is not one-sided; if someone helps you then you should help them too. You help them, keep them close to you, and they’ll keep you close to them.”

Making integration a success

Buba explains his views on integration in Denmark: ”Integration should be natural. You can’t just get a guy who is a foreigner and say ‘you need to

be integrated,’ - no one really understands that.

That’s what makes me feel that we should not give a name to integration - not divide it from the idea that if you live in a country, you are a part of it. In reality, the government comes with the question ‘What should we do with immigrants?’

These immigrants then ask themselves, ‘What should we do to be integrated?’ It should not be this way. If you live in this country, you should be a part of it.

Sausages and beer

”You can’t define if you feel Danish - I would rather say that I’m really glad that there are times when Danish people say that I am ‘Danish.’ This means that all the things around me are done the right way. Once I met a guy from Africa who said that it isn’t enough to eat sausages and drink beer, and I took it really seriously, trying to understand what he meant. Language is the key. I need to speak really good Danish, and if you don’t want

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to be lost in translation, then you should do something - if you are really tired of your life situation, then get a job, get an education. Especially in Denmark where there are so many opportunities.

I’m a web developer, and working with clients in Denmark and I communicate both in English and Danish, which is really good for me.” ”To sum up, I’ll say that you should use all the tools you have. Always set a target and do all you can to get to that target. Living without targets in life, you will fall down, that’s understood. But family is also very important. If I’m surviving in this life, it’s because of my wife, my child, my father, my mother, my brother - we are the family that is always there for each other. They keep me going…And now I can’t wait to get home, because my daughter took her first step today, which is very exciting.”

BEING POSITIVE:

FROM NOTHING TO SOMETHING A good friend of mine and member of New Times always tells me, with a lot of passion and emotion, that “this country (Denmark) needs asylum seekers”.

❚❚By Legend I never took him seriously and never understood what he was talking about. I thought he was simply trying to justify himself as a former asylum seeker. I was under the impression that it was the asylum seekers themselves who needed this country to protect them and help them begin a new life.

After I met a gentleman, let’s call him “Max,” who came from the Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R.C.), I realized exactly what my friend meant about how Denmark needs asylum seekers. This gentleman is a technical engineer for one of Denmark’s biggest banks, and is responsible for the server and software requirements in a few of their branches. Max works at his own pace and has his own hours. He has a salary which many would consider above average. When asked about how he felt about such a high paying job, he simply says he is “returning the favour to the system which took care of me in my time of need”. He adds, “Denmark has given me the opportunity to realize my dream”.

Coming from the war-ravaged region of the D.R.C., he himself is amazed at how far he has come; he refers to himself as one who came “from nothing to something”. When most asylum seekers come to Denmark, more often than not they have nothing with them. They may have been wealthy in their home country, but when they become asylum seekers most of this is lost. One literally starts a “new life” from the ground up.

Max is a now an inspirational figure to those who know him.

He always encourages people, both young and old, to make a “positive impact” in their new society.

I asked Max how he felt about society in Denmark, and if he felt he was a part of it. His reply to this was: “I am generally accepted and respected by my peers, and most people who know me value and respect my input and points of view. I am an invaluable member of the community I live in and I am happy”. He jokes, “You can see by my big stomach that I am a very content man,” and laughs heartily at his own joke.

When I look at Max, I am personally inspired by him. He had a late start to life, as he came to Denmark as a man in his mid-thirties. He has managed to pull himself up and support his wife and two children. He also mentions a very important message: give back to the society which you live in.

Asylum seekers have not had an easy life, and for them to not aspire to be something greatly baffles me. Throughout history there have been asylum seekers and refugees who have made a mark on the world because they where inspired to get up and

do something big and good for themselves and those around them. Some of these famous people are: Bob Marley, who once fled Jamaica to Miami after being shot, Wyclef Jean from Haiti, Mika from Lebanon, Karl Marx, Albert Einstein and Jackie Chan.

All these people and hundreds more were all asylum seekers at one time and have in one way or another had an impact on our lives. Their stories, and this one, are positive stories that should inspire present asylum seekers to fulfil their dreams, while at the same time inspiring others.

New times | March 2010 | issue # 78 | page 5

UN Millennium Development Goals:

Ending poverty by 2015?

“We must not fail the billions who look to the international community to fulfil the promise of the Millennium Declaration for a better world. Let us meet in September to keep the promise,” announced Ban Ki-Moon, U.N. Secretary-General, earlier this year. New Times journalists Katz and Legend had a look at what this promise entails and how far we still have to go. ❚❚By Legend and Katz The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) were agreed upon in 2000 at the Millennium Summit. At the summit, all heads of state met under the flag of the United Nations (UN) and agreed to make a serious effort to reduce the many problems facing developing nations. The eight Millennium Development Goals they have set out to meet by 2015 are: 1. Reduce Poverty by 50% (eradicate extreme poverty and hunger) 2. Achieve universal primary education 3. Promote gender equality and empower women 4. Reduce child mortality 5. Improve maternal health 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases 7. Ensure environmental sustainability 8. Develop a Global Partnership for Development There was a general agreement at the summit for all countries to put their efforts behind meeting the goals. They have been working towards them for ten years, and now have five years left.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was asked to monitor the progress, while doing advocacy work for countries informing the public about the MDGs. Jakob Simonsen, the director of the Nordic office of the UNDP, had this to say about the UNDP’s role: “We have gone from what I would call ‘euphoria,’ to crisis in the first ten years of the MDG. In the year 2000, the world believed that it could collectively walk on water. The very positive aspect of the summit declaration - the establishment of the goals - was that for the first time the world was at the level of a common discourse, at the level where, on a piece of paper, the countries could agree on some very concrete goals for development.”

Looking back: The past ten years

The general term poverty refers TO the condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support. The UNDP defines poverty as living on less than $1.25 per day. As Jakob Simonsen notes, “In the past ten years, poverty has been reduced to half on a global scale.”

However, the picture is not all that simple: “The current figures show that the level of poverty has been reduced from 1.8 billion people to 1.4 billion worldwide, but these figures are a global average and don’t reflect the situation in all countries. The two big locomotives in the reduction of poverty are China and India, whose size really matters in the general picture. Taking a look at China in 1981, 88% of its population lived on less than one dollar a day, but the 2005 statistics show that,

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whereas four out of five people were poor in 1981, only two out of five were poor in 2005. And with a population of over one billion, this matters in the big picture. A similar story goes for India.”

Poverty reduction is easily achievable in an educated society, and with that in mind, primary universal education has been given a great deal of funding since 2000. The global literacy levels in all parts of the world have subsequently risen. Jakob Simonsen said: “Almost 88% of children globally are receiving primary education. As I mentioned before, this has been more successful in India and China, also Vietnam and South Korea, and even in Africa there has been movement towards the goal of primary universal education. The big improvement in primary education is not only in numbers, but also in the number of girls who are going into primary education.”

Additionally, HIV and Aids has been a problematic issue for most developing nations. In some cases, it kills off most of a country’s productive age group and thus hinders development. However, while the AIDS rate of increase in Africa has generally declined, there have been enormous increases in other parts of the world, such as in the Ukraine and Russia. The success in Africa is attributable to the enormous support for awareness campaigns, as well as the availability of free Antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).

For any of the MDG to be met, there is a need for a lot of money, which is expected to come from donor countries (developed nations). Some countries, such as Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Holland and Luxembourg, are living up to their commitment to meet the goals, and are contributing at least 0.7% of their gross national income to the development cooperation. The United States of America and United Kingdom are also meeting their commitments, although their contribution is below the 0.7% mark.

Setback 1: Fragile states

New Times asked development consultant, author and journalist Knud Vilby how realistic it was to achieve the goals: “It is a difficult question. I never did expect it was possible to reach the Millennium Development Goals all over the world and in all countries. I thought that was unrealistic. I think there has been an impact in a number of countries, but it is quite clear that the goals will not be reached”.

There is a category of countries dubbed fragile states, and it is here where it is hardest to implement the MDGs. Knud Vilby continued by saying: “Take Somalia or the Congo - they are what are sometimes called ‘fragile states’. There you do not have a government which can

it is also about how income is distributed between regions and social classes,” said Jakob Simonsen.

Setback 3: Climate issues

Another problem is that some of the donor countries that promised to raise their official development assistance have not done so.

These are countries like Germany, France, Italy, and Japan, countries with big economies, but whose development cooperation is only 40% of what it could be.

Climate change is one of the obstacles in meeting the MDG. Jakob Simonsen said:

provide social security for the population. In this country [Denmark, Ed.], we tend to talk a lot about development assistance, which could be important, but I think the most important thing is for a country to have a reliable, trustworthy, national system, which can assist in providing social security, and which can use the benefits from economic growth.”

This is to say that it is essential to have a central governing structure for any a developing country to be able to start working toward such goals.

Setback 2: Population growth

Another major setback for the MDG is that in most of the developing counties there has been a population explosion. When you have population growth of 2-3% per year, it means each year you have to build new schools, make new health facilities, create new jobs, and increase productivity and basic infrastructure to accommodate more people. Knud Vilby explained: “Economic growth in a country like Denmark is normally 1-3 percentage points per year. In a country with 2-3 percent population growth [as in many countries in Africa, Ed], you need – according to the UN - economic growth of more than 7% to be able to fight poverty, even if you have good governance.”

Although poverty has been reduced, it is worth noting that this has had an impact in only a few countries, like India and China, which have such big populations. Jakob Simonsen commented: “The not so good news is when you look at the reports. The region where we have little, though some progress, is Africa south of the Sahara. But there are countries that have not moved on the same path and some that are doing even worse than they were 10 or 15 years ago. That’s the beginning of the bad news.

The next element of the ‘bad news’ is when you look below the national levels into regional numbers and into distribution of income. It is not only a question of a nation reaching the goal but

“Climate? Of course it is affecting development because you need to divert investments to combat, for instance, desertification. Also, you need to support those countries that have a small CO2 footprint to move into an economic growth pattern that does not rely much on fossil fuels.”

Setback 4: The economic crisis

Another major setback in meeting the MDG is the economic crisis.

This has two immediate impacts for the developing world: First, there has been a reduction in the demand for some of the primary products (e.g. agricultural products) exported to the developed world because there is less money around.

Secondly, the Euro and US dollar are not flowing so readily into developing countries. Instead, they are flowing into other countries, where there are possibilities of higher profit and, in that sense, less risk for the investor. This means less investment in developing nations.

Questions for the Minister New Times sent an email to the newly nominated Søren Pind, Danish Development Minister, with questions regarding the MDG: 1) Some experts say that the MDG will never be achieved in the allocated time, so why pour so much money into such a project?

2) How does Denmark monitor its aid and make sure that it gets to the people where it’s needed?

3) What is the Ministry’s long term goal? After your commitments have been met, will the Ministry continue to help with the goals, but in different countries? Or are there other ideas for where donations should go and for what after 2015?

4) What criteria are used to decide which countries to give aid to? In other words, how does Denmark choose which specific countries receive aid, and which do not?.

New Times will publish his view on the matter in the magazine and on the website, as soon as Søren Pind responds!

A look into the future

With just five years left until 2015, and considering how it took us ten years to get where we are now, the question that remains is: Can we overcome the obstacles left in the remaining time?

On this, Knud Vilby commented: “I don’t think the achievement of the MDG is very realistic because you have the financial crisis in the western world. You have western governments having more debt and more economic problems than they used to have. And you have climate change as an additional thing which comes up. Of course you can say that developing countries could do more on their own, and that more could be done with the same money. But if we are talking about 5 years, then it’s not realistic to expect that much more will be done.”

Jakob Simonsen agrees, noting that, “Obviously no [the MDG won’t be met, Ed.], and in that respect, will the goals be achieved by 2020 or even 2025? I wouldn’t speculate on it, the only thing I would swear to God is, I don’t think development ends in 2015”.

New times | March 2010 | issue # 78 | page 7

WHAT WE LEFT BEHIND:

A REAL HISTORY OF VIOLENCE An asylum seeker from Afghanistan remembers in great details what he left behind: A country that has not had a rest in a very long time.

❚❚By H. Shirzai “I am sitting in my room seeing in my mind’s eye the unforgettable moments of war, poverty and a miserable life. Ever since I was born, there has always been war. I grew up with war. My toys were weapon cases and ammunition. I have scarcely held a pen in my hand. The only sounds I ever heard were ‘Allah-u-Akar’ (“Allah is great”) during the war. This was said during the fight for freedom in the 1980s - more often by Westerners encouraging Afghan Mujahedeen (literally “strugglers” or “justice-fighters” in Arabic) to fight on the battlefield against the Russians.

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Mujahedeen were supported by Westerners and European countries. They were highly respected and were called ‘patriots.’”

1979 – 1988: Seeking out the Mujahedeen door to door...

Hide and seek was a game you played everyday to save your own life. When I heard the noise of tanks moving and the footsteps of soldiers outside, looking house to house for Muja­hedeen, I would rush home to inform my father and brother to hide. Then I would be as silent as a log. I was scared of what would happen if my

father and brother were discovered. I could hear the voices of other children and women in my neighbourhood crying, begging and saying, ‘’For God’s sake, please let him go - he is not Mujaheed.’’ But the soldiers didn’t listen; it was as if they were all deaf. They looked indifferent and would continue to hit the women who held their feet and begged them to let their menfolk go.

The tanks would finally roll away out of sight.

But they did not go empty-handed: taking with them dozens of young and old people from each village, now imprisoned. After a few hours, gun fire could be heard far away in a desert, leaving

What we left behind:

Omar and Zuu Omar looked stressed as he mentioned his family, leaving his studies back home, being smuggled in the small and cold sheep boats, and the harsh weather throughout his whole trip.

those young and old prisoners under the soil in a mass grave.

I would then go to the river to fetch water for my family - not letting my older brother go, because he was a teenager and if he did, he might be captured and killed. I can see - like it was yesterday - the scared frog jumping into the water that people drank. Ducks were looking for food in the water, while some animals were drinking at the other side of the river. A little further away, children were swimming in their clothes. I pushed away the rubbish gathered at the bank of the river, and filled my bucket. We left the bucket for hours before drinking, so that the dirt settled at the bottom.

1992 – 1996: Civil War

After years of war, I stopped seeing those Russian strangers with their foreign language – they had all gone. After a few years of fighting, the Russian puppet government had collapsed in Afghanistan. I remember the day that people were celebrating the welcoming of Mujahedeen.

The festivities did not last long, only a few days then there was war again. This time it was more severe than ever among the Mujahedeen commanders that were fighting amongst themselves for power and targeting tribes based on language or religion. This was civil war.

I was astounded, thinking: ‘’Are they destroying all our people because of our tribe and our language? We were all together fighting strangers before; now have we turned on each other?”

We were forced to leave our home. I was selling biscuits from my cart - going from street to street, shouting ‘’Cheap and delicious biscuits!’’. If I was lucky, I made enough money for two loaves of bread. Sometimes I would see other children, neat and well-dressed, who would run out of their houses to buy my biscuits. They would speak of school subjects that I hardly knew about. I would look down at my torn clothes and boots that had been mended several times. I wanted to go to school, but poverty deprived me of that. I felt bad about it, but I also felt much pity for those children who had lost their family support and who were now on the street, begging.

I sold biscuits during the day and at night I slept by a kerosene light. In the summer, I was bothered by the bites of mosquitoes and in winter, I was shivering with cold all night because it was too expensive to burn wood in our stove. I heard that the only school in the city would be closed, because the teachers had not received their salaries for six months.

1996 – 2001: Taliban Takeover

There were rumours that strange people in black dresses and turbans had come from the tribal areas near Pakistan, and they would bring peace

to Afghanistan. They were said to be special troops of Islam. Many people were joining the group, trying to make the dream of peace come true. When these black-clothed people finally reached our village, they began to hit people on the streets for not having a beard; for not attending prayers or for being accused of negligence with Islamic rules. They acted as if they were sent

by God himself. They banned women from education and preached that the advancement and development of society was evil. In only a short while, one could see a city in mourning, with black dresses and beards almost all over Afghanistan. They called themselves the Taliban.

2001 – present: The Coalition Forces

Years passed and cruise missiles began to hit Taliban strongholds. Strange weapons and planes were used - weapons that our country had never experienced before. Everything changed so fast, but the misery remained. People were tired and were hoping for a good government. People began to think positively, though, as more innocent and friendly faces started coming to help us. People were thinking that finally all the war would be over and the country would be safe again. But the war did not end - the method of war simply changed. Whole villages were being destroyed and thousands of innocent people were dying.

First the Russians, now the Coalition; one country goes; another comes in, and still the same story...

I have grown old and am now sitting in my room thinking: “Will people at home have enough to eat? Will there be hospitals and clean water in our village? Will everybody have the same rights to education, work and opinion? Will child labour stop?” - so many questions come to my mind.

Most importantly, though: “When will there be peace?’’

What I left behind is still there

“I get so sad when I imagine the children in my village now. I see no difference from my own childhood - it is all the same. People get taken from their homes and they are never seen again.

It is hard to recognize who is a friend and who is an enemy. I have left behind the most precious gift from God - my family. I lost love and care and I feel disgraced. I miss climbing the beautiful mountain peaks; the culture and festivities. I am all alone here.”

❚❚By Zenzo Imagine: You must leave your homeland and everything you’ve known and you had - your business, your friends and free-time.

While your family will always mean a lot to you, you are forced to move because of war and persecution. Your fate is left up to a government somewhere who will never understand what you’ve come from and what you’ve had to leave behind.

New Times interviewed Omar Muhammed, a Somali asylum seeker in Denmark, about why he left and what he had to leave behind.

Omar: There’s a lot of war in Somalia. I left my studies, and my family was rich, with businesses in Mogadishu (the largest city in Somalia)... [Omar looks down and tears begin to fall]...but I had no other option, I had to leave my country. A lot of young people there use guns, and I feared for my life.

New Times: Why do they use guns?

Omar: A group called Al shabab (“Movement of Warrier Youth”), a member of Al-qaeda, use young men as a part of the Islamic insurgency group fighting the war in Somalia. They killed my friends in front of me – they cut off their hands and cut their throats. I escaped.

New Times: Why did Al shabab do this?

Omar: They beat and killed my friends because they were Christians. Al shabab beat and kill Christians and say it is because they (their victims) have no religion. I don’t care about religion or culture, and I have no problems with people of other religions. I am a Muslim and actually have a Christian girlfriend.

Zenzo then meet with Zuu, another Somali asylum seeker in Denmark, to understand further what it was like having to leave Somalia. Zuu explains what she had to leave behind...

New Times: When did you come to Denmark?

Zuu: In September of 2009.

New Times: Why did you leave Somalia?

Zuu: I had problems because I was a journalist there. I was afraid because some of my colleagues were killed while they were at work. Both sides of the conflict want to use us for propaganda.

New Times: What kind of problems did you face, Zuu? What do you mean by ‘both sides’?

Zuu: There are a lot of problems, but mostly the war between the government and Islamic groups.

New Times: Did you have a family in Somalia?

Zuu: Yes, I have a family in Somalia. I have my father, my husband, my sister’s two children that I looked after and my brother.

Now they live in a safer part of Somalia. But there is still fighting going on where they are, just not as much as in the Mogadishu area where we all used to live. My mother died after I came here. When I remember my family, I feel emotional and I miss them terribly, especially my mother and the children. Thinking about my mother makes me cry. Especially when I am alone I am thinking about them very much.

New Times: What do you miss about Mogadishu?

Zuu: Many things, especially my family ... and the weather [Zuu smiles as she has come just in time for the Danish winter]. I also left behind a career as a professional journalist, I was quite well-known and well-respected in Mogadishu. Here I don’t have my work. Now I am in Sandholm, I eat in a cafeteria, and have to wait in a line to get food. I miss my independence and making my own food. But I am safe here. And now I volunteer for News Times Magazine, and I am very glad to be here.

New times | March 2010 | issue # 78 | page 9

vox PoP

what we wouldn’t leave behind

New times journalists job and Zenzo left the editorial office to ask a few people the following two questions:

1. if you had to leave your country immediately, what three things would you take with you?

Lilian: 1. money, pass 2. the weatherport, clothes

Christopher: 1. money, family, identity 2. my tradition

mikkel: 1. Computer, shoes, money 2. my boyfriend

deniz: 1. Family, passport, clothes 2. Culture

sanna: 1. money, jacket, food 2. my child

Lisa: 1. money, my favorite book, a towel 2. my family

tonny: let, clothes 1. Family, wal re 2. Cultu

page 10 | issue # 78 | March 2010 | New tiMes

2. What would be the most difficult thing to leave behind?

WHAT WE LEFT BEHIND:

LosiNg yoUR HomeLaNd John, a Kurd from Syria who has recently been granted permission to stay in Denmark, is a young man with a strong educational background. He was studying for his Masters degree in Economics in Syria when he was arrested because of his work as a secret informant for a human rights association. ❚ By Jan pêt Khorto “I was working in a bank as a financial analyst and at the same time studying for my Masters degree,” he said. “After being arrested and tortured, I couldn’t stay in Syria because I was afraid of being killed because of my humanitarian work with the association.”

John has lived for almost one year in Denmark, and as we were living together in the same asylum centre, I often saw him trying to help the other residents - showing them the best ways to feel safe and relax, helping those who had ques-

tions to contact the Danish Refugee Council, writing about the asylum seekers’ living conditions and situation to the press, and other such things.

When I asked about what he left behind in his homeland, he replied: “I was living comfortably before. I had my own house, car, a good job, my studies, and a healthy bank account. Unfortunately you can say that I lost them all ... but above all, losing my homeland - that is my biggest loss.”

NoN-existiNg

John arrived in Denmark as one

of those who is called “Ajaneb,” meaning ”stranger” in Syrian.

They are the ones who have no citizenship, no rights, no possibilities to work in the public sector, and are never allowed to have a passport or travel out the country. I asked him what he could bring with him from Syria, and he said: “As you know, when someone is escaping from being killed or arrested, the main thing is to survive. I couldn’t bring my papers, money, or even many clothes. But here I found what I didn’t have there: Freedom. The Immigration Service, together with the Danish Red

Cross, understood my situation very well, and on top of that I have now a new ‘family,’ Novo Nordisk, which has accepted to train me in their accounts department.”

When I asked him if he ever calls his family back home, it was like a sorrowful cloud had appeared above us. After thinking for a few minutes he replied: “Yes, every once in a while – but not so often since we know that anything like that might could put my family at risk. But luckily there is Internet and other ways to talk with them.”

LegaL LetteRs I am an asylum seeker from Ghana, and I have recently been denied asylum in Denmark.

The method of notification for my denial was not conventional - after my interview with the Immigration Service, I waited longer than the time advised by the officials and then received my “negative” answer from a police officer who asked me to sign a form stating I would voluntarily leave Denmark. I was not offered a chance to appeal this decision or make any other applications to defend my case.

My question is: why was I not notified of the decision through more conventional means, such as in a formal letter from the Immigration Service? Why was I not allowed to make an appeal even though my case had followed all normal procedures?

A minority of asylum cases are considered “manifestly unfounded”. This means that the Immigration Service considers the applicant clearly ineligible for asylum. Furthermore, in certain cases, asylum applications are processed according to an expedited track of the procedure taken for manifestly unfounded cases. This happens when the asylum seeker comes from a country where, according to the most up-todate information available, it is unlikely that he or she would be at risk for persecution. Ghana is considered such a country. In

these cases, the asylum seeker is not asked to fill out an application form, but rather he or she is referred directly to an interview with the Immigration Service.

The Danish Refugee Council is also asked to give a statement on the case. If this statement is in accordance with the ruling of the Immigration Service, the application will be rejected as soon as possible without contest. If, on the other hand, the Danish Refugee Council disagrees, the Immigration Service will generally maintain its rejection of the application, but will refer the case to the Refugee Appeals Board for a final ruling.

From the letter you received, it appears that you received a rejection without the possibility to appeal. If that is the case, there is nothing more you can do in the Danish asylum system and the authorities expect you to go back to your home country. This is why you were asked by the Danish National Police to sign a form of voluntary return.

It is normally the police who serve rejections letters to asylum seekers. That is to make sure that the applicant receives the decision and is given the opportunity to talk to police about voluntary return to the home country.

I am a refugee in Denmark, I have no nationality now.

I have a blue UN refugee pass-

port. My partner is an asylum seeker. We have a child who was born here in Denmark. What nationality does our child have?

A child born in Denmark to parents who do not have Danish citizenship does not automatically become a Danish citizen.

The nationality of the child is determined upon the national rules concerning citizenship in the father’s home country and in the mother’s home country.

If one of the parents is stateless, the nationality of the child will be that of the other parent.

It is now three months since I asked for asylum in Denmark. I am still waiting to hear if my application is accepted here.

Is there a time limit within which I should hear?

The European Union has adopted the Dublin Regulation which establishes in which country an application for asylum in an EU country should be processed. According to the terms of this Regulation, an asylum application can only be processed in one EU country.

If an asylum seeker has been in contact with authorities in another EU country before coming to Denmark, his or her asylum application may not be processed in Denmark. Instead, the asylum seeker will be sent to the country of first registration, where his or her applica-

tion will be processed.

The initial process of determining whether an application for asylum should be processed in Denmark or another EU country takes an average of three months to complete, although it may take as long as six months.

I have just received a negative answer on my asylum application here in Denmark. Is it possible, if I request it, that I can be sent to a third country that is safe, rather than be deported back to my home country?

If an asylum seeker has resided in another country, other than the home country, then Danish Immigration Service may refer the asylum seeker to that country to process the asylum application. ‘Safe third countries’ include Switzerland, the United States, and Canada.

However, it is only prior to the processing of your asylum application that you can be referred to a safe third country, not after your asylum case has been decided. If you have received a final rejection from the Danish Immigration authorities, you are expected to return to your home country.

ASK US Have you any questions?

Write to: New Times c/o 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 København 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.

New tiMes | March 2010 | issue # 78 | page 11

Dublin Regulation: Artist portrait / Jan Pêt Khorto

At The Breaking Point The Dublin Regulation has a great impact on the lives of asylum seekers throughout Europe. The Regulation, adopted in 2003, makes it so that an asylum seeker’s fingerprints can in fact determine their entire future. New Times reporter Aluko met with John, an asylum seeker in Denmark.

❚❚By Aluko The weather was very cloudy, it was another snowy day. Everyone was rushing to the cafeteria for lunch. In the queue, I was standing behind John. “Hi John, how are you?” I said. John looked up and replied, “Not so bad.” But he looked strange and his response was different from the way we had usually related to each other before. “What is it? You look different. Tell me, is something the matter?” I said.

It was only then that he opened up to me. We had already collected our food and

were facing one another at the dining table. John began to tell me all about the concerns he had with the Dublin Regulation and the fact that his fingerprints had been taken. He had been in Switzerland seeking asylum, but his case was rejected and they had taken his fingerprints.

He was asked to leave Switzerland with a two-day ultimatum, or face deportation back to his country of origin. He did not want to return to his home country, so he had no choice but to go to another country in Europe by train.

John continued his story:

page 12 | issue # 78 | March 2010 | New times

“The train stopped somewhere I didn’t know. Suddenly two police officers emerged onto the train, asking passengers for their documents. Blood ran through my spine, the fear gripped me and I felt paralyzed. Finally they reached me and demanded my passport. I didn’t know what to say, so just looked at them as if I didn’t understand what they were asking me. I was told to stand up, and until I was led off the train I didn’t realize that I was in Denmark. I thought, ‘oh my God, I am under arrest!’ Many bad thoughts started filling my

mind, but thankfully the police officers were very kind to me.

After a small interrogation, I was told to re-seek asylum here in Denmark.”

Uncertainty

John took another sip of coffee and went on: “Without any objection, I accepted their suggestion. But I was confused. My friend had just received a letter from the police saying that he must go back to the first European country he had sought asylum in, because his fingerprints were recorded there. I thought to myself, ‘will I be able to seek asylum in Denmark after being rejected and fingerprinted in Switzerland?’”

John explained to me that he did not know exactly what would happen to him when they find his fingerprints in Switzerland. He had thought that by fleeing Switzerland he was avoiding deportation, but he soon realized this would inevitably happen to him in Denmark as well. Still, John thought there may still be hope.

He told me that he has heard of other people in similar situations, who have not been sent back to the first European country they registered in.

John also told me he would be “very grateful if there is anything I can do so that I can remain in Denmark. Since I came here, a lot of positive things have happened to me. I am getting to know about other people’s culture and traditions, customs and beliefs, and am even exposed to the Internet.

It has been a great privilege.

Working with the Red Cross in my praktik is remarkable for me.

I would really love to remain in Denmark, and hope there is a way out of this problematic system of fingerprinting and the Dublin Regulation.”

John sighed, and drank his coffee. When he put down the cup and looked up, he frowned, but a light still sparked in his eyes.

The Dublin Regulation ❚❚ The Dublin Regulation, previously known as the Dublin Convention, determines which EU member state is responsible for processing an asylum seeker’s asylum application. ❚❚ The Regulation establishes a fingerprinting database of asylum seekers – called the EURODAC. ❚❚ Asylum seekers must apply for asylum in the first EU country in which they arrive and where their fingerprints are taken. ❚❚ Asylum seekers may be returned to another EU member state if it can be proven that they have either entered another state (by air, sea or land) or made an application for asylum in another state. ❚❚ In 2005 Switzerland was included in the “Dublin Regulation territory”.

The agreement was ratified in 2008 and since then asylum seekers have been returned to Switzerland according to the regulation. ❚❚ Germany, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark are currently limiting transfers to Greece due to the lack of protection and care for asylum seekers in Greece. ❚❚ From a total of 197.284 asylum applications recorded in EURODAC [the fingerprint database, Ed.] in 2007, 31.910 applications were ‘multiple asylum applications’, which means that in 31.910 cases, the fingerprints of the same person had already been recorded (in the same or in another Member State).

(Sources: Commission EC, ECRE, EU Observer, Swiss Federal Office of Migration, Statewatch.org)

Dublin Regulation:

THE FATAL FINGERPRINT

When it comes to the Dublin Regulation, justice is blind. At worst, it can lead to life-threatening circumstances for asylum seekers, says Danish Law Professor, Jens Vedsted-Hansen, in this interview with New Times. ❚❚By New Times The Dublin Regulation was born as The Dublin Convention in 1990. When it was adopted in 2003 it was renamed The Dublin Regulation. Professor VedstedHansen explains that “The Convention was made at the time when the internal border controls between EU (formerly EEC) countries were being dismantled and the aim was to ensure that asylum seekers were not able to move freely from country to country and thus seek asylum in several countries. It was made because some EU member states feared that they would become a magnet and attract too many asylum seekers.

In 2003, the Amsterdam Treaty came into effect. It enabled all EU member states to adopt common rules and regulations and to thereby harmonize laws, including laws relating to refugees and asylum seekers across Europe. The Dublin Regulation meant that, for instance, rules about handling asylum seekers’ cases and time-limits became the same throughout Europe.”

Resistance

Various criticisms have been made about the regulation. Vedsted-Hansen summarizes.

“Some people argue that asylum seekers should have the right to choose the country where they will seek asylum and later be granted asylum if they are recognized.

Others believe that the Dublin system leads to unfair and lop-sided sharing of refugees and asylum seekers among the different EU countries because the regulation criteria will usually lead asylum seek-

ers back to countries at the EU’s southern and eastern external borders – in other words, to the countries where they first entered Europe.

Other opponents say that the Dublin system leads to arbitrariness in the way that individual asylum seekers’ cases are handled and that it can lead to violations of international asylum standards. The criticism is mainly that the regulation has not in fact been followed up with effective harmonization of the criteria for asylum and standards for the asylum procedures. Asylum seekers can get very different treatment in different EU countries. In some countries there are very restrictive criteria – and possibly also insufficient legal rights in the asylum procedure – which lead to the rejection of asylum to applicants who would have been recognized and been granted asylum in other EU countries. This can mean that asylum seekers in some countries with restrictive criteria are being sent back to persecution – which is a violation of the fundamental principle of non-refoulement [a principle in international law, specifically refugee law that concerns the protection of refugees from being returned to places where their lives or freedom could be threatened, Ed].”

On the other hand

The arguments put forward by the supporters of the regulation are quickly clarified by the Professor, who says, ”The main argument in favour of the Dublin system, is that it makes it possible to avoid ‘asylum shopping’ where asylum seek-

ers travel between EU countries and seek asylum where their chances are greatest - and perhaps even seeking asylum in several different countries at the same time. Moreover, supporters believe that the system contributes to a more equitable distribution of asylum seekers and refugees between EU countries than would otherwise be the case.”

per se, but it means that there should be real harmonization and effective implementation of the asylum rules across the EU before employing a penalty system – as the Dublin system is after all.”

Invisible effect

Vedsted-Hansen notes that the Dublin Regulation had, and still has, great practical importance - perhaps even bigger than it is possible to see from the statistics. “There are probably lots of asylum seekers who fail to attempt to travel to other EU countries because they know that they can risk being returned to a country where they formerly resided.”

According to the Professor, the code of practice suits the time – for good or bad – even after 20 years. “I do not think the general world view regarding refugees has changed so much since 1990 that one can say that the Dublin system is obsolete. It becomes more a question of principle and if the system runs fairly and properly – and that is a question that can be asked today, just like it could 20 years ago.”

When asked about his personal position on the regulation, Professor Jens Vedsted-Hansen states, “From a professional point of view I strongly agree with the last criticism which I mentioned earlier [the violation of the fundamental principle of non-refoulement, Ed.]. In itself this is not a general argument against the Dublin system

New times | March 2010 | issue # 78 | page 13

THE JOURNEY TO THE PROMISED LAND:

MISERY AND ATROCITY

Background interview about immigration into Europe. Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen, Danish expert on international refugee law and policies of migration control and management, gives a breathtaking update. ❚❚By New Times What are the most frequently used migration routes to Europe right now?

If we speak about irregular migration, there are three popular routes. The one that you hear most about is probably the one across the Mediterranean, and that one has been shifting in terms of where the migrant departs. Five or ten years ago, the main departure points were across the Adriatic or the Straight of Gibraltar. After

that it was towards the Canary Islands or the Spanish enclaves in Morocco. But these days most of the irregular boat migrants try and go through Libya, to reach Malta, Greece, or Italy.

What do you mean by “irregular”?

‘Irregular migrants’ is a term most migration researchers use instead of “illegal migrants” – basically to underscore that no person is illegal as such. An irregular migrant is a person who migrates or stays in a coun-

try illegally. Irregular migration often combines land and sea travel – either trying to reach one of the many Greek islands that are hard to patrol, or by hiding in the back of trucks and going through e.g. Ukraine into Poland.

The boat route that is the most popular today is the one from Libya across the Mediterranean. It is estimated that 100,000-120,000 people attempt to cross this way every year. Now Italy has struck a deal with Libya, allowing them to send back anyone that has been caught in the Mediterranean.

The agreement basically does two things: first, it sends people back to places like Libya, a country that hasn’t signed the Refugee Convention, and doesn’t provide any kind of asylum system; secondly, you are forcing migrants to pick more dangerous crossings, such as during the night or during times of the year when there are more storms and the weather is more harsh. Migrants are also forced to take longer routes and, as the statistics show, more people die. In the last three years alone, more than 3000 people have been confirmed dead in their attempt to cross into Europe – and that is just the confirmed numbers, the real numbers are probably much higher.

Now the second route is becoming more popular; that is, leaving from Turkey or Eastern Europe to Greece, or overland on the Eastern land border. It is the “Eastern route”. Turkey has been a popular route and it is becoming a more important one, especially after this arrangement between Italy and Libya. The trouble there is controlling the land border, because Turkey doesn’t have a direct interest in stopping people from leaving Turkey and going onwards – they consider themselves a ‘transit country’. There are also many islands, both on the Greek side and on the Turkey side, so it is very hard to patrol the area.

Just to clarify, what is the agreement between Libya and Italy?

It is basically an agreement in which Italy will pay Libya five billion Euros over the next 25 years to have them cooperate; Italy and Libya are doing joint patrols inside Libyan waters and inside Italy, and Libya has agreed to take back anyone that Italy intercepts in Medi-

page 14 | issue # 78 | March 2010 | New times

terranean, without any kind of asylum screening in terms of who they are or determining if they are refugees or migrants.

And they travel by train, busses, and…?

Well, it differs. You also see some people doing it by boat from Turkey to Greece. Some people attempt to cross via land, such as trying to cross into the Ukraine, into Poland, or further down from the Balkans into Italy, etc.

But the last route - and the most important route of all - is the one in where people come legally on a student visa or tourist visa into Europe legitimately, typically via airplane.

Then after the tourist (or other) visa expires, they just don’t go back. This phenomenon is called ‘overstaying,’ and the people are called ‘overstayers’. The problem is that you cannot control them at the border, because when they come in they are legal.

They only become illegal after their visa expires. And then they become irregular migrants living illegally inside the country.

Most overstayers, if they have slightly more money, have come either by getting a fake visa or because they come from a country where tourist visas are normally granted. France and Spain all have cultural links from the time of colonialism with a number of countries in South America and North Africa, and so visas to nationals of these countries are often granted.

Are there any asylum seekers coming to Denmark that way?

Yes, absolutely. The problem is that many countries require you to launch an asylum request immediately after coming, so if you have been living on a tourist visa for three months, you may not be allowed to enter into the asylum procedure. Even though they may in fact be refugees, it may be more attractive to live as an illegal migrant.

But we don’t have many illegal immigrants living underground, do we?

We have some, but it is difficult to live underground in Denmark because there is so much registration; you have to show proof of identity and give your

CPR number to do most things.

But estimates are that we have somewhere between 6000 and 7000 illegal immigrants. Restaurant businesses, cleaning businesses - there are plenty of places that will employ people with no papers.

It is not attractive to live illegally in Denmark whereas in Spain, for example, you can typically still sign up with the municipal authorities and get basic welfare access (hospitals, access to schools for your children, etc). In some countries, you can still get a work permit locally, even though you are illegally staying at the national level. So it is typically more attractive to stay in a country like Spain rather than in Denmark, where you basically live with absolutely no rights because the Danish policies are very strict.

Is it possible to talk about an average price for human smuggling?

It really differs. If you have lots of money, you may be able to get fake documents, but that can easily cost upwards of 10,000 EUR. The price to go with a human smuggler over

land …well, the latest price is somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 EUR. The price to go across the Mediterranean alone is typically somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 EUR, but then comes the additional costs to get there. For example, if you get caught and sent back to the Libyan prisons, you will have to pay to get out. Basically, the Libyan prison guards will sell you back to the human smugglers for somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 EUR. Then you have to pay that as well. It is crazy – completely crazy.

a deal with Spain, shot down and killed six people trying to climb the fences to the Spanish enclaves in Morocco. And there have been plenty of reports of Greek border guards abusing and deliberately putting at risk the lives of boat migrants – in one instance, basically dragging them back to sea, putting a hole in the boat, and then letting them try and make it to Turkey.

And of course not everybody did, but at least some made it to tell the story. It’s dreadful. It is a really harsh reality.

And I suppose it is very dangerous as well?

Every step of the journey you are subject to a number of risks.

Drowning is the most obvious one when crossing the Mediterranean. Many others die from asphyxiation - choking - when hiding in trucks and having to stay in cramped up spaces.

Others die from hunger, or get exploited by gangs because they know these migrants will carry money in order to pay for their journey. Often it is the official authorities that pose the biggest risks. For example, the Moroccan border guards, after making

New times | March 2010 | issue # 78 | page 15

The journey to the promised land:

My escape was miraculous but toilsome.

I headed towards northern Nigeria, without knowing exactly where I was going.

This is the story about how my eventful journey started. ❚❚By Aluko The whole episode was like a bad dream. I left my town heartbroken and with feelings of pain, confusion, disappointment, betrayal and insecurity.

I was forced out, like a tortoise out of its shell, searching for a place of rest.

My way towards Kano was mysterious and something I still do not fully comprehend.

I reached the main highway through the jungle and then I saw a truck and some men. They had almost completed making a minor repair and I asked the driver for a ride to the nearest town. Even though I didn’t know the name of the next town, he agreed, so I climbed up and sat with several others in the back on top of a heavy load of food items. As we left that place I felt some relief, but panic still gripped me strongly.

I did not speak to anyone as we were travelling, and when we reached the next town, the driver stopped and everybody got down to eat. I remained in the truck. In my heart, I was praying that the driver would not ask about me, because I needed to move far beyond where we were. I didn’t know where the truck was going, but it didn’t matter, I wanted to go anywhere as long as I left this area completely. After about two hours they returned and my heart started to skip. What

if the driver asked about me now? But I was relieved once again when I heard the truck’s engine start.

Kano

The next morning, at about ten o’clock, we arrived at a big motor park and everything looked so different. I was curious to know where we were. Everybody spoke in a language I didn’t know. How could I communicate with these people? I was looking left and right - an obvious stranger. At last somebody came to my rescue, but he spoke Hausa, a local language that I did not understand. He spoke to me in English, which I also did not understand, then he spoke Yoruba and I finally understood what he was saying. “Where are you going?” he asked. Then he mentioned many towns that I had never heard of in my life.

I said, “No, but please tell me where I am. What is the name of this town?” “This is Kano,” he replied, realising that I was not the person he had been looking for. I begged him to show me anyone that spoke Yoruba in the park, and he led me to a fat old woman selling food in a small canteen.

After the fat old woman and I had exchanged greetings, she asked me few questions about where I came from and where I was going. I managed to explain a little, but was too exhausted to continue and she understood

page 16 | issue # 78 | March 2010 | New times

why. She ordered one of her staff to give me food and take care of me. Later she came to me and wanted to know everything about me: What had brought me to Kano, where I was intending to go and so on. I narrated everything from beginning to end. She was full of sympathy for what I had been through, and took me to one of the drivers going to Zendel.

Moving on again

After a long discussion, she handed me over to the driver and gave me some money. The money looked different compared to Nigerian currency - it was Niger money, which was not the same. “It will sustain you for some time,” she said and wished me good luck. There were so many of us on the truck - many of the passengers were traders, and we sat on top of their loads. Our truck left in the evening around seven o’clock, and throughout the journey I did not speak to anyone until we reached Zendel.

The truck drove straight to one of the big markets in the town. As we all got out of the truck, the driver came to me and took me to a Yoruba man call “Doctor Tunde” - a very popular man who had been living there for a long time and worked at Zendel’s main hospital. Doctor Tunde took me to his house and took good care of me. He told me that things were not so good in Zendel, and that many Nigerian people were travelling to Libya. He said, “Libya is a nice place where you could start your life all over again.” I was happy to hear this and without any hesitation, I decided to go to Libya. He gave me a small lecture on what to expect on my journey, and encouraged me to

be strong and full of hope. He then handed me over to some people who had been to Libya before, and instructed them to take very good care of me.

Onward towards Agadez

The following day we left for Agadez, the main junction of the main route to our promised land. The journey was not easy, and we had many flat tires. Each time we had to fix a flat, everything had to first be loaded off the truck, and then loaded back on afterwards. The journey took us five days. We arrived at an army check point in Agadez on the fifth morning, and the army ordered all of us from southern Nigeria to get off the truck with our luggage. They searched us one by one, and beat, slapped and kicked us. It was not a small intimidation we suffered at the hands of these soldiers and we had to pay 10,000 CFA [approximately 21 US Dollars] each for our release.

So near and yet so far. In such a short time I had already faced a lot of serious problems. Still so far away from my destination would I ever make it?

I hope to be able to continue the story in the next issue of New Times. But as an asylum seeker you never know.

THE JOURNEY TO THE PROMISED LAND:

HoW somaLis get to deNmaRK

After nearly two decades of civil war and endless chaos that has engulfed Somalia, the Somali people have faced many forms of persecution due to the civil strife. â?š By Zuu Killing, robbery, rape, torture, and starvation have become synonymous with Somali society since the last functioning central government of long-time dictator Siyaad Barre was overthrown by warlords in 1991. After overthrowing the government, the warlords turned against each other. This fight is not over, but rather has turned into a religious war instead.

As a result, Somali refugees have flocked from the country in search of safer places, far from artillery sounds and the continuing blood-shed. These refugees have favoured seeking asylum in the developed world, such as the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. They seek to begin a new life there, at least temporarily, sometimes with hope of returning home. However, such hope for returning to Somalia becomes farther from reach day after day, as the county deepens into more violence.

Some Somalian refugees make it all the way to Denmark, which leads to the question of how?

There are, in fact, different ways that Somali refugees come to Denmark, irrespective of whether it was their favoured destination or not. Somali refugees are generally smuggled by human traffickers, who may take them to Denmark via a life-threatening journey They start in Africa, and make their way to United Arab Emirates, and then sometimes through Qatar, making their way to Syria, then Turkey, and up through the Mediterranean into Europe.

Smugglers often use small boats that are unsuitable for sea-travel, and balloon shaped rubber boats. Thus Somalis travelling to Denmark by way of the sea and entering Italy face an exceptionally risky journey. However, some refugees are able to be flown directly from Africa to Denmark, if they can afford to pay a large amount of money. In order to get this money, some people sell their real estates, businesses and even raise funds from their relatives to cover the costs of the trip.

The stories told by refugees are often difficult to digest for people who have never themselves experienced something similar. Some refugees are beaten and intimidated by their smugglers, and girls are sometimes raped by them. Yet somehow they make it to Denmark, in search of a better life.

New tiMes | March 2010 | issue # 78 | page 17

MR. D.N. MARK PART II

“A TASTE OF REALITY” Read Part 1 at www.newtimes.dk! As the men went back to their individual estates, Mr. D.N. Mark was left alone in the conference room, still looking at the laws. It seemed as though he was not satisfied with everything, maybe because he felt that more animals were coming into his estate than onto the other members’ estates, and he did not like this... ❚❚Short story by Katz Mr. D.N. Mark got up to leave the conference room where the general assembly had just been held.

As he opened the door, there in front of him was a very feeble animal with three of its young huddled behind it. Mr. D.N. Mark had a closer look at the creature - it seemed to be severely wounded and looked to have come a very long way. Mr. D.N. Mark then remembered the file of the new laws that the individual estates had just agreed upon in the general assembly.

He turned back to the conference hall where he had been sitting, and picked up the copy which Mr. Sweeten had handed to him before the meeting had adjourned. Mr. D.N. Mark quickly flipped to the section that discussed the laws for animals coming onto the farmlands in the different estates. The first thing he read directly related to the animals that were standing outside his door. The animals were obviously wounded and appeared to been underfed by their owner.

Mr. D.N. Mark went back to have a closer look at the animals again, and then realised that the mother did not have an ear tag, and none of her young ones had any ear tags either. There was therefore no proof of their identity or of their original estate. Mr. D.N. Mark tried to communicate with the animals, but they didn’t seem to understand any of his commands.

This was frustrating for Mr. D.N. Mark, especially since all of the other animals that belonged to him understood and obeyed every command he gave.

“Stand up!“ said Mr. D.N. Mark, but all the animal did was to look at him and then made a sound that Mr. D.N. Mark had never heard before. It was a very strange animal-language that Mr.D.N. Mark could not understand. Even though the animal stood with its eyes wide open in fear of what was to come next, Mr. D.N. Mark decided to close the door behind him, pocket his keys, and walk away.

Just as he did this, the mother animal made a much more violent sound as if it was trying to say something to him. The tone of her voice sent Mr. D. N. Mark off running, with the animals trying to run after him. They only made it a few metres before they sat down, too weak and too hungry to pursue after Mr. D.N. Mark. As Mr. D.N. Mark ran, thoughts went through his mind about where he might be able to find immediate help; “Oh!” he thought, “Who can help me through this?!?”

Just then he remembered that there was a hired worker in one of his estates who claimed to be a specialist in speaking the many languages of foreign animals. The hired worker in mind was a man named Redcrest. He was called by this name because he had bright red, crest-like hair that resembled a rooster. He was known to be a very polygamous man whose land of origin

page 18 | issue # 78 | March 2010 | New times

was not known. In every estate he had a wife and children, a practice that was not generally accepted by any of the other estate owners; but Redcrest had fought and struggled to be accepted in all estates. He claimed to have unique abilities, among which were the ability to communicate with animals and understand different animal behaviours.

None of the other estate owners could do this, and they were impressed with his strong work ethic. He would go to any length to show kindness to whoever needed it. So, because of

his unique skills, his polygamous behaviour was overlooked, and a high demand was put on his animal-language skills.

It was Redcrest that Mr. D. N. Mark ran to for help. When Mr. D. N. Mark arrived at the residence of Redcrest, Redcrest was sitting and trying to feed some animals that had earlier been sent to him.

“Help help! I need your urgent help,” shouted Mr. D.N. Mark, before he could even be offered a seat.

“Please have a seat, could I get you some beer,

coffee, water or tea?” asked Redcrest.

“No I have had enough beers today and besides, there is an animal with its young that I just left outside the conference room. I don’t seem to understand how best to communicate with it, so I need your help because you seem to find your way round with these animals. Get up, let us go!

Those animals you are feeding can wait until you come back.”

Off the two gentlemen went. When they arrived just outside the conference hall, the animals were still there, but they appeared much

weaker than before. The mother tried to make a sound, but she could barely be heard, and the young were asleep. Filled with compassion, Redcrest reached out to help the mother up, as Mr. D. N. Mark stood akimbo in the distance.

“Do you understand what it is saying?” asked Mr. D. N. Mark.

“Yes, well I should be able to understand, but her voice is so faint,” responded Redcrest.

“Where does she come from?” asked Mr. D.N. Mark.

“I cannot tell you now, but I will be able to tell

after she has regained some strength to communicate with me.”

“How come she can’t communicate, and yet had all the strength to travel all the way to my estate?” asked D.N Mark.

Redcrest did not respond, he just looked at D.N Mark, and then back at the wounded animal.

“In my observation, we need to help her out of here. I will have to carry her and you may help me by carrying the young,” Redcrest said.

D. N. Mark gave him a slightly annoyed look and replied: “Okay, I will help you. But next time you need to be wise enough and come with some of your sons to help you with such work - this is not my kind of work, my duty is to tell you what to do and to see you respond with haste.”

Mr. D. N. Mark reached out to help the young animals. They were so small that he carried two of them on one shoulder and the third in his right hand. Redcrest carried the mother on his back. The young awoke from their sleep as they were being carried and started to make noise as they communicated with each other. They seemed to enjoy being carried, and understood that they were finally receiving help. Mr. D. N. Mark, annoyed by their noises, shouted “SHUT UP!” Redcrest asked him not to shout at them like that, and explained, “they are expressing their gratitude to you,” he said and smiled in his heart.

Even still, Mr. D. N. Mark felt rather disturbed by this, and decided not to talk all the way as they went back to the residence of Redcrest.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Read part III in the next issue of New Times.

New times | March 2010 | issue # 78 | page 19

CREATIVE PAGE We bring you examples of asylum seekers’ creativity and imagination.

LONELY VALENTINE’S

By Katz The calendar on the wall stares at me, It whispers words once spoken to me But this time round, I don’t answer back Feeling so alone with no one to talk to, I am now staying off to myself Alone with no one to talk to Oh, what a helpless feeling!

Reflections of what it was Will it be the same again?

My mind reverses the clock I see the same day again She runs to me dressed in red, A smile on her beautiful face Love fills the air An irritating noise runs through the corridors It wakes me up from yesterday The calendar stares at me again She doesn’t run to me this time No, because I am alone Somewhere people are celebrating But to me it is a LONELY VALENTINE’S