REFUGEES. REPORT. LIFE.
NEWTIMES DECEMBER 2013 > ISSUE # 88
HOW DOES HE KEEP UP HOPE?
11-YEAR-OLD HIVA AND HIS FAMILY HAVE BEEN REJECTED ASYLUM IN DENMARK. BUT HE KEEPS HIS HOPES UP FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE PAGE 03
SIGN FOR CHANGE
BLOOD REVENGE IN ALBANIA
HE FIGHTS FOR REFUGEES
BAD EXPERIENCES WITH INTERPRETERS? FILL OUT THE QUESTIONNAIRE AND HELP CHANGE THE SYSTEM
AN ASYLUM SEEKER FROM A “PEACEFUL” COUNTRY SHARES THE HARDSHIPS SHE AND HER FAMILY HAVE FACED AT HOME AND IN DENMARK
MEET A JOURNALIST WITH A PASSION FOR COEXISTENCE AND REFUGEES
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DEAR READER Another year has passed, and New Times is now celebrating its 18th anniversary. 18 years as the voice for asylum seekers in Denmark--we are very proud of that! But what is New Times? When did it start? And who runs it? It all started in 1995 when an asylum seeker in Center Sandholm decided to produce a local paper that portrayed life as an asylum seeker. He named it New Times and one of the longest running projects in the Red Cross Asylum Department was born. With the help from the Red Cross, volunteers and more asylum seekers, the local paper
developed into a bigger magazine with news, investigative articles and other stories revolving around the issues of asylum, democracy and human rights. Today, 2.500 copies of each issue are printed, which are widely distributed among subscribers in Denmark and other European countries. The magazine is sent to politicians, journalists, schools and libraries and of course to asylum centers. On top of the printed magazine, New Times is also publishing stories on its website (newtimes.dk) and on its Facebook page. The team behind the magazine is not the same for long. People come and go. Some are
rejected asylum and travel back to their countries. Others get asylum (which is always celebrated in the office). Today, at the time of writing, the editorial room is filled with 12 asylum seekers from such different places as Iraq, Kenya, Egypt, Bosnia, India, Afghanistan, Georgia and Algeria. There are three volunteers (two from America and one from France) and a Danish editor. We all thank you for your interest in the voice of one of the most marginalized groups in our society. It is our hope and vision that the efforts we put into this magazine can help Danes understand the asylum seekers better - and help the
asylum seekers to a more informed waiting time in Denmark. Robin Ahrenkiel El-Tanany Editor
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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, Alisa, Georgi, 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: Maja Kathrine Rettrup Mørch Editor: Robin Ali Ahrenkiel El-Tanany
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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.
HOPEFUL HIVA
11-year-old Hiva hopes that his father will be granted asylum and his family will find a path to a better life. So far there has been many challenges for his family, but the hope remains
❚❚By: Rasha Hiva comes from Iran, he is 11 years old and he has been in Denmark for two and a half years. After one year, his father arrived in Denmark too and he was full of hope back then about getting asylum in Denmark. “I just waited, like I wait for my birthday present, for the first post from Immigration Service with the acceptance of my father’s case,” Hiva says. Before his father arrived, Hiva had started in a school for refugees to learn the basics. Afterwards he joined a Danish school. During this time, Hiva’s mother was denied asylum twice. “I was the father, the brother, and the husband to my mother,” Hiva said.
DAYS OF UNCERTAINTY
The days slowly dragged by as Hiva waited for his father’s interview to happen. In the meanwhile he continued to live his life as normal as possible. “I
thought to do something I love, I started to play football,” Hiva said. He joined the school team and excelled, not only on the football team, but also in class. And then, finally, his dreams came true - Hiva’s father got a post for the time of the interview. The night before the interview, Hiva could not sleep at all. This interview would be decisive for the future of Hiva and his family, and his biggest hope was to be able to live as a free person and also to get out of Sandholm. When it became the morning of his father’s interview, Hive prepared himself to go to school. “Don’t be afraid my father, everything will be okay,” Hiva remember saying to his father. “The hours didn’t pass. It was the longest day in my life,” he says. After the school day, Hiva ran home to see his father. “I searched everywhere. Where’s my father?” Hiva asked his mother. But his father was still being interviewed by the authorities. A couple of hours later, his father came home. “I ran to my father’s hug,” Hiva remembers. His father told him that “everything will be okay, dear. I promise you will get out of Sandholm. You can invite your friends to your own room. You will be able to travel to Barcelona and see a live football game,” he promised his son. After two weeks of waiting, his father got a letter in the mail. Every dream they had broke down after opening the letter. The news were nega-
tive. Hiva’s father had not been granted asylum. “What can I say to my son?” his father asked. “I promised him a good life.” When Hiva came home from school that day he saw his father and mother in a bad mood. Even though he knew what had happened, he asked what was wrong anyway. When they told him the news, he got so sad but he didn’t surrender to despair. “We have another chance,” Hiva screamed. “We have a court date, and we can choose a good lawyer,” he added and he was full of hope again.
ANOTHER CHANCE
Once again, the days passed slowly as the family waited for the court appointment. Maybe Hiva would get what he was dreaming of. He tried to focus in school on the day of the second hearing, but he was too distracted. He came home early from school and was alone. Hiva called his mother to ask what was going on, but she said they were still waiting for the judge’s decision. “I will call you back dear when they finish,” she told him. He got a phone call after one hour. From his mother’s tone of voice, he understood that his father was denied for a second time. “I started to cry like I lost one of my family,” Hiva said and cried. When his parents arrived at home, Hiva ran to his father’s hug saying, “Don’t be sad, Dad. You are still my hero.” “We can travel to another country. It’s nice to learn more languages; don’t cry, Mum,”
Hiva added. After a while he tried to forget about the rejection. He continued his life.
REMAINING HOPEFUL
“Life is not fair. Why can’t I get out of Sandholm? Why do I have to go back to my country, when I know what problems my father has in Iran?” Hiva says with a smothered voice. He is still fighting for his dreams, and because his hopeful nature influences his whole family with hope. Hiva just got a new brother and he suggested his mother and father a name: Dyar, which means home. Six months after the court date, Immigration Service decided to give them an apartment and he got half of his dream. Now he is sure the rest of his dream will come true, and then he will travel to Barcelona.
NEW TIMES | DECEMBER 2013 | ISSUE # 88 | PAGE 3
FATIMA IS LOSING HOPE Fatima is giving up hope to live with her family
❚❚By: Rana Fatima Al-bek is 75 years old. She’s from Palestine, but she’s a refugee in Syria at Black Stone camp. According to the United Nations, 144,000 people live there. “The entire refugee camp was destroyed in the war,” she said.
TWICE REJECTED
She was in Denmark for about six months but was rejected asylum twice.
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“My three children are citizens in Denmark, but still I got rejected,” she says. Everyday she needs to go to the doctor for check ups that are not possible in her homeland.
BIGGEST WISH
She hopes to get positive because her children are in Denmark and she doesn’t have anyone to go back to in Syria. Her biggest wish is to stay in Denmark with her family.
SIGN FOR CHANGE! - your help is needed
Have you had bad experiences with an interpreter during your stay in the Danish asylum system? The Interpreting Committee of the Association of Danish Authorized Translators and Interpreters needs your help to get an overview of the scale of the problems with interpreters in the Danish asylum system. If you have had a bad experience with interpretation, please share it with the Interpreting
Committee. They are fighting to put pressure on relevant politicians, and the more examples from you and other asylum seekers - the bigger the pressure for better interpreters. Fill out the questionaire, sign it and send it to the Interpreting Committee at mail@translatorforeningen.dk. You can also send it to New Times (newtimesdk@gmail. com)and we will hand it over to the Interpreting Committee.
NOTE The Interpreting Committee needs to know your real name, but if you do not want anyone else to know about your story, you can be anonymous. Mark this by writing “Anonymous� under your real name at the end of the document. Then your real name will be taken out of the statistical report that will be published later on.
DEAR USER OF INTERPRETING SERVICES The Interpreting Committee of the Association of Danish Authorized Translators and Interpreters is making a national survey of the implications of inadequate interpreting assistance. Therefore, we ask you to help us collect stories about bad experiences with interpreting assistance in healthcare, social or legal settings. If you have experienced a situation with bad interpreting assistance, please let us know by filling in the attached questionnaire and sending it by email to the Association of Danish Authorized Translators and Interpreters at mail@translatorforeningen.dk. If you know of other users of interpreting services who have had bad experiences with interpreting assistance in healthcare, social or legal settings, please feel free to reforward this request to them.
Here in Denmark we do not know the full impact of bad interpreting assistance. But foreign studies have revealed that bad interpreting assistance may have huge consequences for individual users of interpreting and may also be very costly to society, for example because patients get the wrong kind of treatment and have to be hospitalised for longer periods of time, or because court trials are prolonged or have to be postponed. In order to remedy the situation and ensure proper interpreting services in Denmark, the Interpreting Committee recommends that the Danish authorities set up an interpreter accreditation scheme, create a national register of public service interpreters and establish a
university programme in public service interpreting. For the past two years we have taken various steps aimed at making our politicians assume responsibility for the interpreting situation in Denmark. In March 2012, we organised a public hearing on interpreting services in the Danish public sector. During the winter of 2012-2013, we presented our recommendations to members of three Standing Committees of the Danish Parliament (Folketinget): the Social Affairs Committee, the Health Affairs Committee and the Legal Affairs Committee. The purpose of collecting experiences from situations with bad interpreting assistance is to gather further proof of the extent of the problem
so that we can persuade our politicians of the urgent need for action. We therefore hope to receive input from very many different users of interpreting services in Denmark. Kind regards, The Interpreting Committee Carina Graversen State-Authorised Translator and Interpreter (Danish-Italian) Anette N. Jappe State-Authorised Translator and Interpreter (Danish-English) Bente Jacobsen State-Authorised Translator and Interpreter (Danish-English)
THE REASON FOR OUR REQUEST
The Interpreting Committee aims to improve the general quality of interpreting services in the Danish public sector. We are worried about the fact that most of the interpreters in healthcare, social and legal settings have no formal interpreting or language training and have not passed exams in interpreting or languages. Our concern is shared by lawyers, judges, social workers, doctors, nurses and many other professionals who have told us that they often have bad experiences with interpreters.
NEW TIMES | DECEMBER 2013 | ISSUE # 88 | PAGE 5
QUESTIONNAIRE: Describe the setting in which the interpreter was asked to assist you (where and when did you experience bad interpreting assistance, who was present, what was the purpose of the meeting/appointment/hearing):
Describe what made the interpreting go wrong:
Describe the consequences of the bad interpreting assistance in the actual situation and/or subsequent or later consequences:
Name: Position: Place of work/reason for stay in Denmark:
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BLOOD REVENGE STILL EXISTS IN ALBANIA Lume, a 43-year old asylum seeker from Albania, gives associations to American thrillers. tional to educate females. I had never moved outside the house without an escort because very often girls are being kidnapped and sent to Italy, where they work as prostitutes. The fear of that is still in my mind and even here in Denmark, I don’t go nowhere alone.” Then, how did you meet your husband? Was it love at first sight? “Unfortunately not. My father chose a husband for me. And in our tradition it is a decision which can be very dangerous for girls to refuse. A father can kill his daughter in that case. Therefore I did not even think to complain.” ❚ By: Yolanda Lume Ulliri is the mother of two children. She has a 12-yearold son, Dori, and a 9-year-old daughter, Ida. They came to Denmark in 2008 together with Lume’s husband, but he left the family shortly afterward. New Times talked with Lume about Albania’s terrifying story and her life in Denmark.
BLOOD REVENGE
Albania is a “safe” European country. What forces people to flee anyway and leave everything, asking for asylum in other countries? “Fear for their lives and the lives of their family. In the place where I was born and where I lived, Gjorem, which is about 80 kilometers from the capital, Tirana, a feud between families never stops, and it transfers to the next generation. Each family has lost members, who have been killed by other families.That is blood revenge. The circle almost never closes. From one hundred families maybe only three or four managed to end the tradition of blood revenge.”
DAILY LIFE WITH THE GUNS ON THE WALL
Does your family have the obligation of blood revenge?” “Yes. Because of fights in my childhood, a young man tried
to kill my father. Fortunately, he did not succeed. My brother is now obligated to kill a male member of that man´s family. I see changes on your face talking about this. How did you feel in those days living in your place? “I was always in the fear for the children, for me and the rest of my family. My father, like the other families, had several guns. He used to hang the guns on the wall, but now they are hidden, but still within reach, if it should be necessary. Everyday, instead of pictures, we used to look at guns on the wall. But sometimes not even weapons can help you.” Did you have such an experience? “It happened in my neighborhood. Some criminals burst into a house, tied up all the male members of the family, and the women were raped. Afterward they robbed the house. In another house, some stole a small flock of sheep, and the robbers killed a father and his son.”
TRADITION
Besides these unusual happenings,what was your ordinary life like? “Generally very difficult. I only went to school for seven years, but it is better than my sister who went only four years. Our father did not let us to go more because it is not in tradi-
POETRY SOUL
Was there anything that you liked to do with your free time? “I liked singing. I sang on some family gatherings. And everybody liked that. Writing was my second passion. I wrote poetry and very often people asked me to write for them.” What did you write about? “I wrote about my own life and love.” Do you still write poetry? “No, I stopped when I came to Denmark.” Why? Do you miss inspiration? “No. I have too much stress, so my concentration is on a very low level. I also sometimes feel as I’ve spent all emotions.“
LIFE IN DENMARK
asylum life has influenced him. I have been taking antidepressants for a long time. But since the children and I have lived in an apartment outside the center Sandholm, both the children and I feel much better.”
AN OUTLOOK ON THE FUTURE
What are your wishes for the future? “As I have been rejected asylum several times and my country does not accept me, I hope I shall been granted the residence permission in Denmark.” Why does your country not want to accept you? “The Albanian Embassy told me that there would be a possibility of problems if me and my children would go back to Albania and they don’t accept us.” Besides being granted residence permission, a typical asylum seeker´s wish, do you have any more? “Soon I will have another surgery of the hip.The first one I had three years ago. I hope that it will be successful. After that, in the future, I would like to go to school and work as hairdresser.” We wish Lume the best and hope that she opens her poetry soul again very soon.
NOTE
Can you compare your life before in your home country with the life you now live in Denmark?” “My life in Denmark is difficult too. The hardest here was four years of living in the Center Sandholm, watching my children suffering because I could not do anything to change anything. My children have gone to Danish school for more than three years, and the whole time they are being pointed at for their differences as asylum seekers. My son had depression for a long time. Most of the time after school he spends in the room, refusing to socialize with anybody. The uncertainty of
After this interview, Lume Ulliri and her children have been deported to Albania.
NEW TIMES | DECEMBER 2013 | ISSUE # 88 | PAGE 7
THE LEKTIE CAFE IN SANDHOLM Children and parents meet every monday in Sandholm for help with homework, drawing, soft drinks and cake
❚❚By: Makmoud The Lektie Cafe is a social event that takes place in Sandholm every Monday evening between 7pm and 9pm. Coffee, tea, biscuits and cakes are served. This activity is sponsored
by about six volunteers - most of them are pensionists named Inga, Inge, May, Sabu, Brigitte and Estefan. The café was started by Inga five years ago. Inga started teaching Danish language to asylum seekers in
center sandholm in 2008, and after a while she started the lektie cafe. “I was happy to see that the lektie cafe was a success. Many people came”, she says. And the cafe is still a success with full house every Monday.
GOOD ATMOSPHERE
Children are accompanied by their parents and occupy a quite large round table. They are provided with coloured pencils and paper to colour. The atmosphere is quite good and happy; children enjoy coloring and enjoy cakes and soft drinks.
A SAD THING
The sad thing about this coffee is that people are transferred from the center daily and who you meet today will be missed at the next meeting in the café.
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HE FIGHTS FOR THE REFUGEES IN DENMARK
When journalist Bent Dahl Jensen quit his job at a national newspaper he managed to find the time to follow his passion and start a website focusing on coexistence and refugees ACHIEVEMENTS
For the last four years Sameksistens.dk has achieved much in terms of reaching their goals as an online newspaper. “Our focus is to fight unrighteousness and seek coexistence. When asylum seekers contact me, I often recommend them to seek advice at the Danish Refugee Council or other organisations that offer free advice. In rare occasions we write about specific cases which are presented to us. Two or three years ago I had a couple who were denied asylum in Denmark. They had converted to Christianity and were to be deported. I had to fight for them, make some noise and the only weapon I had was the website. Now they have been given asylum and live in Jylland. Believe me, they would have been deported and their case had not been reopened if I had not written an article about their tragic case,” he says.
IMPROVE THE SYSTEM
ABOUT WWW.SAMEKSISTENS.DK
❚❚By: Larry (Photo: Sonny)
The website is in Danish. It covers the topics of refugees, integration, immigration, human trafficking, culture, religion and foreign affairs.
I had a very successful interview with a great Danish man who left his job as a journalist to free some of his time to serve as an ambassador and fight for a better coexistence for both asylum seekers, refugees and migrants in Denmark. He uses his website “Sameksistens.dk” (meaning Coexistence.dk) as a weapon. The majority of his readers are Danes who have the same vision and passion.
The website is organized as a nonprofit company – called Sameksistens ApS. The company finance the news site, and the company get income by working for external customers.
IN THE BEGINNING
Even though he had a wellpaying journalism job with the daily newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad, he decided to quit 11 years ago. “At that time I was involved in different voluntary work in the church and in different NGO’s, and it was too difficult
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to combine with a fulltime job, where I often had to work in evenings. So I quit the job to be a freelance-journalist”, he says. At that time he established the website that should later become the news website www. sameksistens.dk, with columns concerning refugees, integration and many others issues. “I had no doubt that the time had come for me to follow my vision. I worked with the news site in my free time when I had finished my freelance tasks and used some of the income to finance the website” says Bent Dahl Jensen.
PASSION AND VISION
“Every human being is born with a purpose and with that follows the passion. It is just a matter of time before the passion has grown in you and you can feel it is time to release it. To give it out where it belongs,” he
explains with a smile on face. “I have visited Africa and Asia working as a freelancer. These tours showed me that in countries like Bangladesh and Egypt it was possible for Christians, Muslims and Hindus (in Bangladesh) to live and work together in peace and harmony and to establish projects where they worked together to develop their locals societies,” he says. It was interesting to hear that he had been in a region well known in Bangladesh by my photographer, mr.Sonny, who could not hide his smile when he heard of that. When I asked Bent Dahl Jensen if he had visited an asylum center he responded with, “I have been to some of the centers in Sjælland. And maybe I know the room you live in!”
Danish laws on asylum seekers change day by day. Most asylum seekers can’t predict their fate. In the beginning of 2012 many people were sent back to Italy where asylum seekers live in horrible conditions. Then the authorities changed the practice, so some of the vulnerable asylum seekers were allowed to have their cases examined in Denmark. But during this year the practice has again changed and nearly all asylum seekers who has been in Italy or have a visa for Italy are returned to Italy. “I think it is time that everyone in the asylum system should be treated equally. The system needs to be improved in the whole of Europe,” he says.
FORMER NEW TIMES MEMBER 90 VOTES SHORT FOR CITY HALL Mustafa Adham was an Iraqi asylum seeker that came to Denmark with his family in 2001. After he was granted positive, he started working towards his dream of becoming a politician. Now, he’s running for a seat in the municipality in Vejle for the Social Democrats
❚❚By: Sam New Times managed to get an email-interview with the busy politician six days before the elections: When did you first get the idea that you would start in politics? [I first got involved in politics] in 2010 when I became a member of the Danish Social Democrat Party. Before that I was interested in politics. One of the reasons is because I come from a politically active family that has fought for democracy and freedom for several generations. That’s why we were in the opposition to Saddam Hussein’s dictatorial regime. What do you want to change in your municipality? As a local Danish politician and as Social Democrat, I work hard for three major causes in my city, Vejle: security, equality and diversity. I want to change the current political facts that say Vejle has the lowest level of service among Denmark’s municipalities. I want to give more influence to the young generation, especially in the political and social life of the city, as well as ensure them better schools, practical places and job opportunities. Besides that, I am working on project called “Place for All.” The council of the city must reflect on the diversity of our society, especially with young members. Has your background as an asylum seeker had any impact on your political views? I have learned to not give up. I have learned to fight for my rights as well as others’ rights and goals. That’s why I stand for diversity and am working on “Space for All / Place for All.” How do you remember your life in the Danish asylum system? It was hard and inhumane. (You can look at the archive of New Times from 2002 to 2007 to find a lot of examples and stories. It’s a fact that the treatment was more than hard and inhumane. One room is not enough for a whole family to share! And as a rejected asylum seeker, you do not have a right to learn Danish even though you spend years in Denmark!) The DRC [Danish Red Cross] did what they could, but the problem was with the Danish VKO government [coalition government] at the time. VKO had a right-wing policy. This policy was a consequence of the harsh asylum and integration policy of the Danish People’s Party. Do you have any advice for the people currently waiting for a decision in the asylum system? Don’t give up. Fight for you rights and goals. Learn the Danish language, integrate in the Danish society and try hard to have an education and job. Be active in the democratic process. As an
example, you can be a member of a political party or volunteer in local humanitarian organization. You are an inspiration for many asylum seekers. Who or what inspires you? Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela because Martin Luther King had a dream to change the policies of his nation from racist to equal and Nelson Mandela gave the world a wonderful example about how to fight for your rights. Any other comments? I would like to thank you as well as the staff of the New Times for this interview. I was a journalist at the New Times from 2004 – 2007. I wish you and the staff of New Times all the best.
Mustafa Adham comes from a politically active family that has fought for democracy and freedom for several generations in Iraq. It is natural for him to continue the political interest here in Denmark.
NOTE Mustafa Adham received 385 personal votes at the elections the 19th November. Only 90 votes short for entering the city hall.
NEW TIMES | DECEMBER 2013 | ISSUE # 88 | PAGE 11
“STOP DEPORTATIONS OF MENTALLY ILL” 150 people demonstrated in the weekend against the forced deportations of mentally ill refugees ❚❚By: Georgi Bakarandze and Alisa P. (Photo: Larry) The group “Grandparents for Asylum” organized a demonstration in Copenhagen at Nytorv last Friday. Around 150 people participated in the demonstration. According to the organizers an increasing number of mentally ill
people and families with children are being deported these days and the main requests from the demonstrators to the authorities were painted on banners saying: “Stop forced deportations of mentally ill” and “Human rights are being violated”. New Times interviewed some of the demonstrants.
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“My mother is mentally ill. Let me stay in Denmark” the signs say.
Interview with Helge Nørrung, Immigration Lawyer “I must say that I am ashamed to be a citizen of a country that calls itself Christian, but who treat people worse than we read about in the Bible Parable of the Good Samaritan. (It is a story of a man who was left in a ditch after a mugging. Afterwards both a priests and a Levite passed him without helping). But unlike just walking right past, we are in Denmark so nice that we examine the victims and their background, and then we put them back in the ditch and say that they do not need help.”
Interview with Leif Bork Hansen. Leif Bork Hansen is priest and member of the organisation Grandparents for Asylum. “We fight for all asylum seekers no matter which country they come from or what´s the colour of their skin. I have been writing letters to the Ministry of Justice so many times asking them to change their decision on asylum seekers. I have been sentenced twice for hiding refugees in the church. Since my wife is a psychiatrist, she has shared so many stories with me of what some of her patients went through in their countries of origin. I remember a story of a woman who went through a group rape for example. They got residence here and their children were born here and they are to be expelled from Denmark now.”
Do you think that demonstrations like this one will have an influence on changes in Denmark´s policy towards these asylum seekers? ”Hopefully it will, with the new government. In the very beginning of their mandate they did good things for asylum seekers.”
An interview with Behar Muja, an asylum seeker. His family applied for asylum on humanitarian grounds based on mental illness of his parents, which cannot be treated in the country of their origin, Kosovo. Could you please explain your situation in Denmark? I came to Denmark two years ago with my parents who are very ill. Their illness cannot be treated medically in Kosovo because the kind of medicines they use cannot be bought there. Even if that was a possibility we cannot afford it, they are expensive. We applied for a humanitarian residence in Denmark two years ago and we were informed recently about negative decision on our case from MInistry of Justice. They told us that they will deport us to Kosovo. Why did you get a negative reply from Ministry of Justice?
They said that my parents can be medically treated at hospital in Kosovo. Our asylum application in Denmark was rejected even though we have provided them with documents which prove that these types of medicines cannot be bought in Kosovo. Muja and his parents spent one year in Auderød center and one year in Kongelunden center. What are your plans now? The situation in Kosovo is very bad with a corrupted political and social system. We would not even have a place to live.
NEW TIMES | DECEMBER 2013 | ISSUE # 88 | PAGE 13
MY FIVE-DAY INTERNSHIP AT RED CROSS’ ASYLUM DEPARTMENT ❚❚By: Ingrid Elisabeth Thuesen, 15 years old, Copenhagen I was recently an intern in the Red Cross Asylum Department. My experience was fun, but also an eye-opener. I myself come from a normal family. There has been nothing traumatising or overly exciting about my life so far. The reason I wanted to be an intern in Red Cross is because of my passion for human rights and plans for a future in the legal profession. The Red Cross works with basic human rights both nationally and internationally. In the Asylum Department,
Asylum Seekers’ Information Group (ASIG) 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. We visit school classes from 9th grade and up. To book the group for lectures, presentations and discussions contact newtimesdk@gmail.com.
they shelter, nurse and protect the asylum seekers, while the Danish Immigration Service is processing their case. In my week at Red Cross, I visited the Sandholm Camp, the Women’s Center at Kongelunden, and the headquarters in Frederiksberg. On my trips, I got to see the conditions asylum seekers live in. What especially got to me was my short visit to Sandholm’s kindergarten. While I talked with the staff, the children were setting up tea parties. Later I got invited to an amazing tea party. Since I couldn’t understand their lan-
guage, we used body language. I thought language would be more of a barrier, but the staff only used body language with the children. That visit made a big impression because it’s one thing to see adults in that kind of camp, but it’s much harder watching innocent children in that position. “Red Cross is only running the asylum system, because we truly believe we are the best for the job. If somebody better came tomorrow, we would give the job up and fire every single one working here.” An employee at Red Cross says. I think it beautifully describes
the staff’s passion for their job. The people I met at Red Cross were all there,because they wanted to help people. Imagine working everyday to help people who could be gone in less than a week, to keep exposing yourself to the heartbreak of having to see people in a horrible position everyday, without being able to do anything. I admire them all, especially for being there when tomorrow’s asylum seekers come. The personal hope I have for the future in Denmark’s asylum system is a time limit on the police’s mission to send people home. Today, an asylum seeker
ASYLUM SEEKERS’ INFORMATION GROUP
From a recent presentation made by two Afghan members of ASIG at Nivå Skole
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could be trapped in the system for decades. No matter the circumstances, no one should be trapped. The people who are trapped need to be helped to a normal and worthy everyday life in Denmark or their home states, even if they do not cooperate with the authorities. For me anything else is unacceptable.
HOW TO COPE WITH THE LIFE WITHIN ASYLUM CENTERS My name is Obaidullah. I come from Afghanistan and I have been in the Danish asylum system since december 2012. I was recently granted asylum. I wish to share some advice with the people still living in the asylum centers. Life in an asylum center is quite different than normal life. An asylum seeker has to adjust himself or herself to a variety of conditions such as psychological and physical illnesses; meeting and facing people from different parts of the world with different thoughts, beliefs and values; a very different environment and limitations to all or most actions (e.g. work and education). Considering the above-mentioned facts, an asylum seeker should prepare to cope with said situations by incorporat-
ing certain things and activities into his or her life. For instance, if an asylum seeker faces a person who is impolite or uses harsh words, based on my personal experience, he or she should not react aggressively. He or she has to react kindly or with good manners. This will make the negative person embarrassed of his or her words or actions. If the asylum seeker isn’t patient, he or she will experience unfriendly interactions more often, which will obviously cause many problems. Secondly, to get rid of psychological problems, stress or depression, in my point of view, the best thing for an asylum seeker to do is not to be alone. Instead he or she should walk out in the open environment, do some exercises and keep
himself or herself busy with a variety of activities such as volunteering, interning or going to school on regular basis. In simple words, he or she has to take part in some sort of activity. Learn how to forgive. Its better to join a support group and finally learn how to stop negative thoughts, which will definitely reduce depression. Third, the best way to cope with limited resources and lots of boundaries, based on my experience, is to take things easy. Even though it is very tough to do so, we can still try it. Sharing meals and other expenses with the rest of roommates or friends will help an asylum seeker to meet his or her requirements in a better way. In conclusion, I would say that I realise your situation is
hard, but still we have to live. And for living, my dear asylum seeker brothers and sisters, you should not to be occupied with stress and hopelessness. Do not give up, have a little patience, everything is going to be fine. Since you are protected and are in a secure environment, this is the best thing for you. Thus, I humbly request you all to have some patience and try your best to be tension free. Gradually, through the passage of time, everything else will get better.
“IN EGYPT, PEOPLE ARE KILLED FIGHTING FOR WHAT THEY HAVE IN CHRISTIANIA” Two New Times members and two american students from the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) have made a thought-provoking video about the freetown Christiania. ❚❚By: Sam Meisenberg, Kendall Rock, Shokria and Sam For two young Americans, democracy is a taken-forgranted concept that serves as a cornerstone to their society. To a young Egyptian refugee, democracy is a far-away end goal that can only be reached through struggle. To an Afghani mother, who spends her time in her home country nourishing and protecting young girls who must play soccer in secret, Democracy is something as simple as playing soccer free from fear of an authoritarian regime.
Watch the video on New Times’ webpage: www.newtimes.dk or scan the QR-code with your smartphone to watch it.
NEW TIMES | DECEMBER 2013 | ISSUE # 88 | PAGE 15
VOX POP– VOICE OF THE PEOPLE By: Emily and Celia
Team New Times asked:
WHAT IS ONE ASPECT OF DANISH CULTURE THAT FOREIGNERS SHOULD KNOW TO UNDERSTAND DANES BETTER?
Rakul, Eydvor and Barbara “If Danes have to plan something they plan a long time in advance. They schedule one thing after another, so if a friend asks you to go to coffee, you might not be able to go for two weeks.”
Theodor “The Danish people drink a lot. You start drinking when you’re 14 or 15.”
QUESTION FOR THE LAWYER
We sent your questions to the lawyers at the Danish Refugee Council. Here are their replies.
1
I am a Syrian refugee from the northern Kurdish area. I arrived in Denmark three years ago. I was rejected then, and have not dared to go back since. Is it possible to have my case reopened?
1
The Refugee Appeals Board has decided to change their practice on Syria due to the civil war in the country. According to the current practice the Refugee Appeals Board looks into all old Syria cases and decides whether they should be re-opened again. There are no guarantees for asylum since the situation in Syria can change quickly. But for now all Syrians who previously have had their case rejected will have their case re-opened and looked at again automatically by the Refugee Appeals Board.
2
The police now want to deport me and my twoyear-old daughter back to Uzbekistan. She was born in Denmark. Her father is now on “tålt ophold” here in Denmark. Is it legal for the authorities to deport my daughter when she is born in Denmark?
2
If the father is also from Uzbekistan, Denmark cannot automatically send you and your child back to Uzbekistan. The child has the right to be with both his mother and father, and since the father cannot go back to Uzbekistan, the child and the mother under certain circumstances can get permission to stay in Denmark. This has to be considered by the Danish authorities. If the father is not from Uzbekistan there can be a question of whether the father can
PAGE 16 | ISSUE # 88 | DECEMBER 2013 | NEW TIMES
follow the child and the mother back to Uzbekistan and get a residence permit there. There is not enough information in your question to answer this. It does not make a difference whether the child is born in Denmark or not.
3
I have been in the Danish asylum system for 19 months. I am from Eritrea. Now the Danish authorities want to send me and my two- year-old son back to France under the Dublin convention. I am very upset because of this. I have spent so much time asking for asylum. I started in Greece. It was horrible. Then I went to Norway, but they sent me back to Greece. But EU ruled that Greece should not accept refugees any longer and then I was able to leave Greece again. But on the way up to Norway in 2010 I was
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? WRITE TO:
Grethe Irony. This is a very good thing to know about us Danes. We use irony all the time, so it can be very difficult for a foreigner to know when a Dane means what he or she says or not. We are also fond of sarcasm which is when you say the completely opposite of what you mean. That confuses many foreigners.
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
catched by the police in both France and Denmark. Denmark sent me to Norway, but Norway sent me back to Denmark. Can Denmark now sent me and my son to France?
3
I do not think it is possible to give you a correct answer based on the information in your question. If Denmark has accepted your transfer from Norway to Denmark, they cannot send you to France, since Denmark has taken responsibility of your case.
You need to present your questions in Danish or English