| |
|
|
Malta
For World Refugee Day, JRS Malta initiated
a joint effort with the Government of Malta and several NGO’s to
raise awareness about why people – particularly those in Malta
at the moment – sometimes need to leave everything behind in
search of a safer future.
Participating organisations set up
information stands in the main street of Valletta and invited
passers-by to take a hand-woven bracelet proclaiming ‘HOPE’,
made by detainees for the occasion. Onlookers were also treated
to an asylum speaker playing the oud. (right)
The stand was visited by government
ministers throughout the morning and passers-by expressed an
interest to learn more about the situation.
On the Saturday morning following World
Refugee Day, a football tournament was organised near the
entrance to Valletta. Teams were made up of asylum seekers and
famous Maltese personalities including the occasional member of
parliament. A group of asylum seekers who have opened a
restaurant of traditional foods at their open centre brought
some of their delicacies along.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
NGOs including JRS Belgium gathering to urge the
Ministry of the Interior of Belgium to seek
alternatives to the detention of children |
Belgium
For the occasion of the World Refugee Day JRS Belgium
participated in 3 vigils organised in different cities of
Belgium.
On June 16th Christophe Renders SJ, Country Director for
Belgium, spoke about the situation of non-accompanied minors in
Belgium during the vigil at St. Roch church in Brussels. JRS
also shared their experiences of visiting detention centres
during vigils on two days at churches around the country: in
Bruges and Turnhout. These towns were chosen because there are
detention centres nearby.
In another event on June 20, representatives from several
organisations (UNICEF, Amnesty International, Jesuit Refugee
Service, Ligue des Familles, among others) and from catholic
schools, together with some child psychiatrists handed over to
the Ministry of Interior petitions against detention of foreign
children signed by 18,000 persons.
Questions were raised about the conditions in detention, but the
focus lay on the long-term traumatic effect that detention has
upon children. The Minister of the Interior had declared in the
Parliament that he was ready to ask for investigations into
alternatives; input from NGOs would be welcomed. The delegation
urged the Minister to do initiate these investigations and in
the meantime to halt the detention of children.
Journalists had the opportunity to question psychiatrists and
NGO representatives, as well as two children who had been in
detention centres. As a symbol of this situation some 'playmobil'
figurines had been put in bird cage. |
|
| |
International Coalition on the Detention of Refugees, Asylum
Seekers and Migrants
Jesuit Refugee Service Europe
is a founding member of the International Detention Coalition, which was launched on 20th June
2006. The launch took place at the Vatican with an
inter-religious round table discussion on detention. This is "a coalition of non-governmental organisations,
faith-based groups, academics and individuals working around the
world providing legal, social, medical and other services,
carrying out research and reporting, and doing advocacy and
policy work on behalf of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers."
For full details visit
www.idcoalition.org |
