My reception by the "welcoming host", Mr Wiltgen
I arrived at approx. 12.40 hrs and asked some people outside the front door if Mr Wiltgen was there. One man responded in bad German that I should go upstairs and to the right. This I did, but apparently there was a misunderstanding and I should have gone behind the stairs, to the kitchen where he apparently was. Mr Wiltgen came storming out as I was coming down the stairs, shouting at me, demanding to know who I was and what I was doing there. I gave him my name and the paper that I was given by the ministry. Still shouting, he said that he was told I was coming on Friday, so I told him that I told the ministry that I would only come today. He replied, "that's what you say" - and I said my lawyer was present at that meeting. He replied, "well your lawyer can also get a bed here". I basically ignored his arrogance and belligerence, and asked him to show me where I would stay. He grudgingly took me to an annex of the main building, where he showed me a 1st floor "living area" where there was a small salon and 2 bedrooms, 1 with 2 beds and 1 with 3 beds. There is a downstairs bathroom which I didn't bother to look at. The dining room is in the main building a few metres away. Frankly, this place is far, far worse than Don Bosco, and the administration should be prosecuted for even daring to offer such disgusting, degrading, filthy and depressing conditions to any human being. It's far worse than many 4th world slum conditions that I've seen. He refused to give me, or let me see a copy of the house rules, and "didn't know" what time the next bus went to Wiltz! I took a camera with me, but didn't even bother to ask if I could take photos. To Mr. Wiltgen's credit, he did semi-apologize saying there was a misunderstanding. If the state (taxpayers) pays the owners of Pension Rosi in Tarchamps more than 50 Euros per person per year for "accommodating" asylum seekers, I consider that the taxpayers are being defrauded. This is an example of the "adequately trained personnel" referred to in 1080 Law of 27 July 1993?
Another development
I arrived back at my apartment at about 15.20, and at 15.50 my bell was rung by someone stating he was from the police. I met 2 gentlemen at the lift and they asked if they could come in to my apartment. to ask some questions. I politely refused and said that it was an invasion of my privacy, that I had been at the ministry on Friday and nothing had been mentioned to me about a visit. The 2 gentlemen, one named Mr Klein, said they wanted to see how I lived, but reluctantly accepted that I wasn't going to let them inside. They asked if I worked, to which I said no, how much I paid in rent and who was providing me with money. They also asked whether I was at home all day or not. I replied that I had no timetable. They then asked whether I had documentation, and I said only an expired ID card, to which Mr Klein replied, "Oh, from Spain". I said "Yes", and (apart from a few other minor questions) that was the end of the "interview".
This is a blatant example of what I consider to be unwarranted, belligerent, and intrusive abuse of my rights to privacy, and an attempt to intimidate. If any ministry wants to ask questions I have no objections, and they may do so by writing to me or to my lawyer explaining what they want, and we can arrange a mutually acceptable timetable for me to visit their offices.
14/7/03
B. Hassall has worked with asylum-seekers and victims of torture, and also assisted them with some legal information. He has many years of experience in these matters, having worked and lived in various countries in Africa, S. E. Asia and Europe. This article is used by many refugee organizations and psychologists in several countries as an introduction to some of the realities on the ground.
B. Hassall can be reached at: asylum_seekers_forum@gmx.net
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
One day as a refugee
One day as a refugee - gives you the deep rooted anxiety to let nobody know your name.
One week as a refugee - gives you traumata others can not even dream up in nightmares.
One month as a refugee - and you wonder that mind and body still function.
One year as a refugee - and you lose any belief in the human race.
One decade as a refugee - if you survive so long - will have you made strong to speak out, but for the rest of your life you will have to struggle to make others understand, what you experienced and live through.
EINSTEIN WAS A REFUGEE - YOU CAN BE ONE TOMORROW !
STOP THE DEHUMANIZING BUSINESS AND STOP MISUSING REFUGEES FOR IT !
AfricaNode@ecoterra.net
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
REFUGEES
I.V..2000 Author unknown
Cut from your roots
By a bayonet
You’d best forget
The dead
In a distant land
Hands tied
With barbed wire
A bullet in the nape
Here you escape
Those ghosts
So take your chance
On the fickle sand
Of your alien hosts’
Generously hostile
Tolerance
Our god is the same
And we’re modestly proud
Of our fraternal feeling
And the open welcome
On our bounteous soil
Do make a new beginning
On the sound
Of a tongue newly learned
Play the game
The sky’s your limit
If you honestly toil
And behave ....
Don’t say it loud
But your sky’s a steel ceiling
And - to be sincere -
We’d rather you hadn’t come
Into our paradise
But now you are in it
Please be nice
As behoves a guest
Do your best
So we don’t know you’re here.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"We are not all guilty. But we are all responsible."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Please also see:
Japan urged to stop using Internet to inform on illegal aliens
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=289117
UN refugee chief slams asylum 'distortion'
http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200401/75A25BBA-3C55-459B-AC74-83D658ACBFE0.htm
Dutch MPs back plan to expel up to 26,000 refugees
http://www.iht.com/ihtsearch.php?id=130041&owner=&date=20040219154355
Kofi Annan: Don't demonise migrants, encourage them
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,8518342%255E7583,00.html
Annan pleads for EU to keep its doors open to immigrants
http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/040129151056.j74rh5p4
Temporary protection visas compromise refugees' health: new research http://www.unsw.edu.au/news/pad/articles/2004/jan/TPV_Health.html
Chilling echoes http://www.asylumrights.net/amtssprache.htm
I arrived at approx. 12.40 hrs and asked some people outside the front door if Mr Wiltgen was there. One man responded in bad German that I should go upstairs and to the right. This I did, but apparently there was a misunderstanding and I should have gone behind the stairs, to the kitchen where he apparently was. Mr Wiltgen came storming out as I was coming down the stairs, shouting at me, demanding to know who I was and what I was doing there. I gave him my name and the paper that I was given by the ministry. Still shouting, he said that he was told I was coming on Friday, so I told him that I told the ministry that I would only come today. He replied, "that's what you say" - and I said my lawyer was present at that meeting. He replied, "well your lawyer can also get a bed here". I basically ignored his arrogance and belligerence, and asked him to show me where I would stay. He grudgingly took me to an annex of the main building, where he showed me a 1st floor "living area" where there was a small salon and 2 bedrooms, 1 with 2 beds and 1 with 3 beds. There is a downstairs bathroom which I didn't bother to look at. The dining room is in the main building a few metres away. Frankly, this place is far, far worse than Don Bosco, and the administration should be prosecuted for even daring to offer such disgusting, degrading, filthy and depressing conditions to any human being. It's far worse than many 4th world slum conditions that I've seen. He refused to give me, or let me see a copy of the house rules, and "didn't know" what time the next bus went to Wiltz! I took a camera with me, but didn't even bother to ask if I could take photos. To Mr. Wiltgen's credit, he did semi-apologize saying there was a misunderstanding. If the state (taxpayers) pays the owners of Pension Rosi in Tarchamps more than 50 Euros per person per year for "accommodating" asylum seekers, I consider that the taxpayers are being defrauded. This is an example of the "adequately trained personnel" referred to in 1080 Law of 27 July 1993?
Another development
I arrived back at my apartment at about 15.20, and at 15.50 my bell was rung by someone stating he was from the police. I met 2 gentlemen at the lift and they asked if they could come in to my apartment. to ask some questions. I politely refused and said that it was an invasion of my privacy, that I had been at the ministry on Friday and nothing had been mentioned to me about a visit. The 2 gentlemen, one named Mr Klein, said they wanted to see how I lived, but reluctantly accepted that I wasn't going to let them inside. They asked if I worked, to which I said no, how much I paid in rent and who was providing me with money. They also asked whether I was at home all day or not. I replied that I had no timetable. They then asked whether I had documentation, and I said only an expired ID card, to which Mr Klein replied, "Oh, from Spain". I said "Yes", and (apart from a few other minor questions) that was the end of the "interview".
This is a blatant example of what I consider to be unwarranted, belligerent, and intrusive abuse of my rights to privacy, and an attempt to intimidate. If any ministry wants to ask questions I have no objections, and they may do so by writing to me or to my lawyer explaining what they want, and we can arrange a mutually acceptable timetable for me to visit their offices.
14/7/03
B. Hassall has worked with asylum-seekers and victims of torture, and also assisted them with some legal information. He has many years of experience in these matters, having worked and lived in various countries in Africa, S. E. Asia and Europe. This article is used by many refugee organizations and psychologists in several countries as an introduction to some of the realities on the ground.
B. Hassall can be reached at: asylum_seekers_forum@gmx.net
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
One day as a refugee
One day as a refugee - gives you the deep rooted anxiety to let nobody know your name.
One week as a refugee - gives you traumata others can not even dream up in nightmares.
One month as a refugee - and you wonder that mind and body still function.
One year as a refugee - and you lose any belief in the human race.
One decade as a refugee - if you survive so long - will have you made strong to speak out, but for the rest of your life you will have to struggle to make others understand, what you experienced and live through.
EINSTEIN WAS A REFUGEE - YOU CAN BE ONE TOMORROW !
STOP THE DEHUMANIZING BUSINESS AND STOP MISUSING REFUGEES FOR IT !
AfricaNode@ecoterra.net
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
REFUGEES
I.V..2000 Author unknown
Cut from your roots
By a bayonet
You’d best forget
The dead
In a distant land
Hands tied
With barbed wire
A bullet in the nape
Here you escape
Those ghosts
So take your chance
On the fickle sand
Of your alien hosts’
Generously hostile
Tolerance
Our god is the same
And we’re modestly proud
Of our fraternal feeling
And the open welcome
On our bounteous soil
Do make a new beginning
On the sound
Of a tongue newly learned
Play the game
The sky’s your limit
If you honestly toil
And behave ....
Don’t say it loud
But your sky’s a steel ceiling
And - to be sincere -
We’d rather you hadn’t come
Into our paradise
But now you are in it
Please be nice
As behoves a guest
Do your best
So we don’t know you’re here.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"We are not all guilty. But we are all responsible."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Please also see:
Japan urged to stop using Internet to inform on illegal aliens
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=289117
UN refugee chief slams asylum 'distortion'
http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200401/75A25BBA-3C55-459B-AC74-83D658ACBFE0.htm
Dutch MPs back plan to expel up to 26,000 refugees
http://www.iht.com/ihtsearch.php?id=130041&owner=&date=20040219154355
Kofi Annan: Don't demonise migrants, encourage them
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,8518342%255E7583,00.html
Annan pleads for EU to keep its doors open to immigrants
http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/040129151056.j74rh5p4
Temporary protection visas compromise refugees' health: new research http://www.unsw.edu.au/news/pad/articles/2004/jan/TPV_Health.html
Chilling echoes http://www.asylumrights.net/amtssprache.htm