Support Iranian asylum seekers

[behzad1917]

Belgian Government threatens Iranian asylum seekers

European countries are stepping up their war against asylum seekers with plans to establish a new list of safe countries. While they call this policy new, it is in fact continuation of old policies implemented step by step to further criminalize, isolate, the asylum seekers and bring about the demise of the right to asylum which had lost its usefulness after the end of the Cold War. They needed it then to show they were pro-human rights in relation to Eastern Bloc. In order to justify their policies, they play on people's real concerns about the rise of the far right in European countries. Asylum seekers are being scape-goated for EU right wing failed policies.

Many of asylum seekers are fleeing Iran. This country has been one of the major sources of refugee flow over the past two decades; in the past, many were granted asylum. Today, however, asylum seekers including Iranian asylum seekers are being called 'illegal migrants' "bogus" or "economic immigrants". The condition in Iran has not changed, even have worsened. Islamic Republic of Iran under the role of fundamentalism is the capital of the world for execution, torture and stoning to death however the rate of recognition for Iranian asylum seekers has fallen dramatically. One of the main reasons is that European countries have been expanding their economic and political relations with Islamic Republic of Iran which is one of the most notorious and repressive regimes in the world.

Expanding economic relations with Iran has impact on Iranians both inside the country and in exile. Working class in Iran is already suffering from privatization and corruption; expanding economic relations with this corrupt system exacerbate the conditions for working class in Iran. Iranian in exile suffering from this policy by being refused to enjoy political asylum.

The latest scandalous decision by EU on asylum seekers on 6th of November is that in future they give temporary permission to stay for 6 month to victims of smugglers; however this is conditional and is based on co-operation of asylum seekers with police and security forces to capture smugglers. And is based on who they will recognise as victims of smugglers!

One of the EU countries which have strong economic and political ties with Islamic Republic of Iran is Belgium. The degree of the Belgian government's ties with the Islamic regime of Iran can be seen clearly in its high number of refusal for Iranian asylum claims.

The Belgian government is negotiating with Iranian authorities to deport Iranian asylum seekers whom asylum claim has been refused; the general situation in Iran is proof enough that these asylum seekers would suffer persecution upon their return.
On 19th of September, 17 Iranians left the Petit Chateau detention centre in Brussels for the ULB (University of Brussels) after receiving orders to leave the country. Dozens of their compatriots, also hoping to be granted political asylum in Belgium, joined them until some 250 were camping out on the ULB campus. Of the protesters, 31 have been on hunger strike for the past 20 days.

They need our support urgently, because if we can win in this protest, then we can defeat other EU countries in their anti asylum policies. In solidarity we can support their protest by sending fax or calling to Belgian interior minister or Belgian Refugee Commission. You cal also sign a petiotion online to support those are in strike.

Belgian Interior Ministry, Tel: 003225048511, Fax: 003225048500
Belgian Refugee Commission, Tel: 003222055107, Fax: 003222055115
Petition online: http://www.petitiononline.com/IRSY/petition.html



Behzad Javaheri
Student in King's College University of London