Last Tuesday a special meeting was arranged by Antirasistisk senter, Norwegian People’s Aid and many other organizations working with asylum seekers in Norway. The meeting took place in Litteraturhuset in Oslo and gave asylum seekers with final rejection the opportunity to ask politicians questions. The hall was stuffed with 250 people, many paperless refugees with the status as illegal immigrants with no rights. The governments new asylum policy was heavily discussed as well as the conditions in so called departure center (ventemottak). Both NRK and Journalen (Oslo univeristy college’s newspaper) covered the meeting:
I had never heard of departure center (ventemottak) before the spring this year. It is the place where the Norwegian government send the people with final rejection on their asylum application. They are supposed to get food, shelter and emergency help, but as they stay illegally in Norway they do not have the same rights to health services. They get 100 NOK pr. week which is supposed to cover bus tickets, cigarettes etc. In departure centers, activities are arranged to inspire residents to return to their country of origin.
Today I know people living in these places and have heard too many terrible stories. I hope that people follow the link underneath and educate themselves on something hidden in the Norwegian society.
“The dawn of the day looks wild and ugly, because every night you are afraid of the police, coming the next morning to deport you. Twice, I left the room early morning and slept outside in the cold snow in fear of police. I froze badly those mornings and up to now my health is not good, but I am afraid to see the doctor who gives me only pain killers when you are sick.” - Inhabitant in departure center
The news channel for people living in departure centers you can find here:
In an interview NRK had with an asylum-seeker 03.07.2009 he tells about asylum-seekers in Norway who live under inhuman conditions. He lives in a reception-area where they are told they just have to stay for a few months, but he has been there for three years now. He explains that he has nothing to do, and just sits in his room all day.
- Life is more than eating and sleeping. I’m a human being, and I need all the rights a human being requires to have, says Francis.
He also says that it’s better to live in war, than being stuck in a reception-area every day.
Everyone in this world should have the same rights, and none should feel that they aren’t free and equal.
There are more than one billion people in the world for whom basic human rights are light years away. Hundreds of millions of children and young people are living in extreme poverty. Millions of young people are having to deal with severe health issues, forever running from wars, and with no hope for a brighter future. Repression and persecution have become a part of everyday life for many of the world’s young people.
Our planet contains enough resources to secure a life of dignity for ALL of us. The time has come for us to take action. The time has come for the leaders of this world to take charge and make a stand.
NO ONE should have to suffer for the mistakes of past generations.
It is time we stopped denying.
We must open our eyes. We must act. NOW.
Modern Slavery/Human Trafficking
Forced prostitution. Forced labour. Organ trade. Millions of children, women and men are exploited in the most terrible ways, in their own countries or abroad. Human trafficking is a global problem and a grave violation of human rights. Imagine a life without freedom and human dignity!
Wars and armed conflicts
Photo by Jayel Aheram on Flickr.com, see full credits below
Civil wars, national wars, global wars. All over the world children and youth are growing up without security, without a land, without a home, without parents. Because of war and conflict. Because of humans making bad decisions and using violence to achieve their means. In war, human rights are violated daily. Imagine a life on the run without knowing where your next meal is coming from.
Poverty
Since colonial times the flow of resources between the global south and the global north have been uneven and unjust. The global trade system is based upon this disparity, and resources are exploited and extracted, literally robbed, for the benefit of consumers in the rich part of the world. Foreign debt is creating and upholding poverty, causing the cash flow from the poor to the rich to be five times higher than the aid going the other way. In the age of globalization the drive for profit and economic growth has prevented millions of people the right to food and a secure livelihood. Imagine a situation were people actually stand a change in escaping a life in poverty.
Climate change
Climatic changes disturb patterns of rain. Unpredictable weather makes it hard for farmers to know when to sow, and the risk of losing crops are a lot higher than before. Climate change is causing droughts and floods and threatens food security. Access to water is increasingly difficult as it is becoming scarce in some places, while floods are washing away farmland and houses in other. Extreme weather such as tsunamis and hurricanes are increasing, and poor countries are affected most severely. Imagine saving our planet by dramatically reducing the amount of C02 in the atmosphere, for which the rich countries are mainly responsible.
Education
Education is the key to a future; to a life where you can provide for yourself – a life without poverty. Still, there are 72 million children in the world that are excluded from their right to learn, participate and finally contribute to society. To provide education for the world’s population, aid isn’t enough. We have to address the unjust systems that keep countries from providing for education, and support social and democratic alternatives to the exploitation of poor countries. Imagine a world where everyone has the opportunity to help themselves.
Refugees and internally displaced people
45 million people are uprooted from their homes and live as refugees or are internally displaced in their own country. 80 percent of all displaced are women and children. Many people have lived as refugees for generations and have never experienced the kind of life we take for granted. States fail to give protection to their own population, and people that have to flee their countries are facing a hostile attitude in more and more host countries. Imagine bringing humanity back into the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers.
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