14 juli, Den Haag: demonstratie tegen dreigende intrekking van verblijfsvergunningen van Soedanese vluchtelingen

Op 14 juli organiseert het vluchtelingencollectief Wij Zijn Hier, in samenwerking met de Darfur Union en het Sudanese Democratic Forum, in Den Haag een demonstratie tegen de dreigende intrekking van verblijfsvergunningen van Soedanese vluchtelingen. Volgens de IND zou Soedan inmiddels veilig genoeg zijn en dat vormt voor de Nederlandse staat het argument om te proberen om het verblijfsrecht van flink wat Soedanese vluchtelingen af te pakken en hen te gaan deporteren naar Soedan. Wij Zijn Hier komt daartegen in actie met een demonstratie en een open brief.

Uit de oproeptekst voor de demonstratie: “More than 100 Sudanese living in the Netherlands with a refugee status received a letter from the IND stating that they will go through their cases again. They want to check who could be sent back to Sudan as the IND considers Sudan safe. If these people are really going to be deported, they most likely face persecution by return to the war-affected areas. Also, these people will likely be subjected to torture and other cruel, Inhumane, or degrading treatment. They shouldn’t be deported. Sudan is far from safe yet. We need the IND to realize this! We also come together to show our solidarity with the people of Nirtity, on the Marah mountain in the west of Sudan.”

Dinsdag 14 juli
Van 12:30 tot 15:30 uur
Malieveld, Den Haag
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Uit de tekst van de open brief: “The Ministery of Migration of the Netherlands has issued a decision to reassess asylum applicants from war-affected areas in Sudan; namely, Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile states. They declare that in these areas the situation improved since 2017. However, reports of the UN and other NGOs show that the situation in Sudan, particularly in Darfur, Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains, is deteriorating and remains highly unpredictable. Hundreds of Sudanese men and women – specifically the ones from Darfur, South Kordofan, and the Blue Nile states – got shocked when they received a letter from the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), informing them that unless they change the grounds for their application, they will be compelled to return to Sudan. Over the last five months, hundreds of people got killed in these regions mentioned above. There is an increase of violence in these areas. For instance, in March and April communal violence erupted in almost all these regions and hundreds of people were killed in South Kordofan, South Darfur, and Kassala in East Sudan.

On June 15, the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) reported four violent incidents that took place in May that involved civilians. According to the UN and other NGOs, the situation in these areas remain fragile. In its recent report the ACJPS states: ‘Many believe that the practice of arbitrary arrest and torture manifested in al Bashir’s regime had come to end, however, a monitoring report by the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) indicates that the Sudanese Armed forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support forces (RSF) have continued to violate human rights of civilians.’ In March 2020 Human Rights Watch reported that civilians that are in displaced persons camps across the region are vulnerable to attacks by armed groups in the absence of the deterrent presence of international forces. ‘Sudanese security services are either involved in these violent incidents or they lack capacities to respond,’ the report added. The ICC prosecutor explained in the most recent report that throughout 2019 the number of returnees has exceeded the number of internally displaced persons in Darfur. She says: ‘I am concerned by reports on harassment of IOM staff, as well as the looting of humanitarian supplies from five local non-governmental organisations in Kabkabiya, North Darfur.’

According to article 1 (2) of the Refugee Convention we should provide adequate protection for those who fled their countries of origin due to fear of prosecution. For these reasons, the decision of the state of the Netherlands to repatriate these individuals is a violation of their human rights under the Refugee Convention and other international human rights laws. And given the fact that the violence increases in these areas, it is unreasonable to send people back ‘home’. These individuals will possibly face persecution if they are getting deported to these war-affected areas.The life of these individuals is at stake. Also, these people will likely be subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, when they would get deported.The Sudanese community residing in the Netherlands is shocked by the decision of the immigration authority to deport people. Therefore, we appeal to all human rights organisations, to the Dutch people, and everyone who care about the lives of the refugees, to stand up for our brothers and sisters who are threatened to get deported and try to help to prevent this to happen.”

Harry Westerink