Dispersion of the refugees in front of the UNHCR in Rabat

Από: Conni Gunsser
Θέμα: [noborder_lesbos_09] Fw: Dispersion of the refugees in front of the UNHCR in Rabat
Προς: action2-l@kein.org, noborder_lesbos_09@mail.kein.org
Ημερομηνία: Σάββατο, 27 Ιούνιος 2009, 13:26


These are the latest new from Rabat, where more than 100 refugees (with papers from the UNHCR) were sittung in front of the UNHCR office since the 18th of june and demanding resettlement in a third state, beceause they don't get any rights and residence permit in Morocco: Last night the police came, blocked all the streets leading to the UNHCR office and threatened to drive the refugees away by force. Refugees tried to negociate. Supporters (like Lucile from attac Moroc, who wrote this mail) were not allowed to come closer. At 1.30 a.m. the police had driven all refugees away, but the refugees stayed together and tried to go in a group towards the city center. The police blocked them and two pregnant women fell down after being beaten. During three hours, the refugees tried to explain their demands to the police and refused to disperse. Around 3.30 a.m. a provisional solution was found: the refugees sleep together in a public garden where they can have a meeting the next day to decide how to go on with their movement.
The refugees' determination, calm behaviour and capacity to negotiate was impresssing.
Three Spanish journalists were observing the events of this night.

Yesterday I asked how we could support the refugees except making their struggle public in Europe? In Germany (and other countries?) there is a campaign for resettlement and reception of refugees in some cities, and I think it would be a very concrete thing to demand the unconditional resettlement of these people struggling in Morocco. As I got to know, 246 handed over demands for resettlement and their files to different embassies in Morocco, and they want to fight for it together and get the possibility to go to a country where their rights are respected.
People or groups who want more information and new photos can ask me - I get many e-mails, but all are in French and I don't have the time to translate all. But I think it is necessary to support these struggles and connect them to others, like those in Calais, Lesbos and elsewhere!
Conni