Statewatch News Online: France: Statements in support of the Kurdish refugees who landed in Corsica
28 March 2012
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France
Statements in
support of the Kurdish refugees who landed in Corsica
Fourteen Corsican organisations issued a joint statement in support
of the Kurds from Syria who landed in Bonifacio on 22 January,
and announcing a demonstration on 26 January 2010 to protest
against the Prefect's handling of the case that appears to be
aimed art rejecting them rather than granting them asylum. French
and international human rights associations and networks (AEDH
-European Association for the Defense of Human Rights-, FIDH
-International Federation for Human Rights-, LDH -Ligue des Droits
de l'Homme- and EMHRN -Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network-)
are following the case, and issued their own joint press release
while asking the question, "asylum or charter flights?".
They noted that the Prefect failed to attend a scheduled meeting
with the Corsican branch of LDH-France and proceeded to transfer
them from the gym where they were received in Bonifacio to detention
centres in Lyon, Marseille, Nîmes and Toulouse, resulting
in a hunger strike. Both statements call for their right to lodge
asylum applications being upheld, that the measure is unlawful
because they should have been placed in waiting areas until their
requests were lodged and that deporting them would be a violation
of their human rights. The second press release also mentions
the recent case of Afghans sent back to Kabul on a charter flight.
Ajaccio, 25 January 2010
Joint statement
Meeting in support of the Kurdish refugees
With the landing of 124 Kurdish refugees from Syria on a beach
in Bonifacio, Corsica will have experienced, for the first time,
a reality that, alas, has imposed itself over several years in
the Mediterranean. To tackle this event, two attitudes have prevailed:
- on the one hand, a reaction of solidarity by Corsicans: the
Bonifacio mayor's office immediately organised the refugees'
reception, supported in its action by associations and citizens
from Bonifacio and Porto Vecchio; that by other citizens who
spontaneously and permanently assembled outside the prefecture's
offices, and that by associations that demanded that the right
to asylum be respected.
- on the other hand, the action of the prefect [government official
in charge of security] of Corsica who, under pressure from the
ministry for immigration and national identity, did not pause
until a procedure to return them to the border was enacted, contravening
the rule of law.
This summary procedure implemented by the State is an attack
on our humanity. It has now been questioned by the ordinary justice
system, that has ruled that the refugees be released.
This first victory, which is a result of the first mobilisations
in Corsica and later on the mainland, demands further mobilisations
to enable the right of asylum to succeed.
Because removing Kurdish refugees from Corsica in illegal conditions
does not mean that Corsicans are no longer concerned about their
fate.
Because we do not forget that these women, men and children have
fled from one of the worst fates possible and one of the worst
regimes that exist.
The signatory organisations call for a gathering in front of
the prefecture of Corsica in Ajaccio at 18:00 on Tuesday 26 January
2009, to make the Kurdish refugees from Syria's asylum claim
succeed.
Signatories:
CFDT Corsica - CGT Corse-du-Sud - Collectif antiraciste Ava
Basta - Inseme per Aiacciu - Le Bâtonnier de l'Ordre des
avocats du Barreau d'Ajaccio - FSU - I Verdi corsi - Ligue des
droits de l'Homme - PC Corse-du-Sud - PNC - Union des Marocains
de Corse-du-Sud - UNSA - Union régionale de Corse du PS.
[Unofficial translation by Statewatch]
Sources: Sources
- Communique
Commun: Rassemblement de soutien aux réfugiés kurdesxx
(pdf)
- Kurdish refugees
in Corsica: asylum or charter flights? (pdf)
- Réfugiés
kurdes en Corse: asile ou charter? (pdf)
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