To the Police Office of Bicske

To the Office of Immigration and Nationality

The refugees in the Bicske Reception Centre have informed the members of the Migrant Solidarity Group that they the recent presence of the police inside Bicske camp is causing them great grievances. Every day, within the area of mere several hundred square meters of the camp the presence of 10 to 30 policemen triggers anxiety and bewilderment among them.

Anxiety from the mere presence of the police as it is well known that the refugees have not accidentally left their homeland. They mostly fled from armed members of the public authorities in uniform who persecuted them because of their religion, gender, race, political opinion or because of their membership of any other social group.

They feel bewilderment because no one can understand why there is a need for such a high level of police presence in a place where nobody has committed any criminal acts.

“Are we now in prison?” – a refugee child asked this question the other day and her parents could not really reassure the child.

Six refugees from the Bicske Refugee center have moved to a homeless shelter two weeks ago (A research visit to a homeless shelter in Budapest). Migráns Szolidaritás Csoport (Migrant Solidarity Group of Hungary) does not believe this is a good solution for refugee housing problems: These shelters are far away from the Budapest city centre, it costs the refugees 1400 Ft (4.80€) to travel to the city, and they have no possibility to integrate to Hungarian society.

We strongly disagree with transferring refugees to homeless shelters on two basis: Firstly, the government’s obligation to solve housing issues is part of an integration plan and assisting refugees into society. By sending refugees into homeless shelters there will be no positive opportunity for integration.

Secondly, the homeless shelters are already nearly meeting their capacity according to a recent statement by an activist group struggling with housing issues in Budapest, A Város Mindenkie. This means it is impossible for the existing shelter system to also house thousands of refugees and asylum seekers – many of whom have left Hungary and are now in danger of being deported back to Hungary under the Dublin rules.

Migráns Szolidaritás Csoport urges the immigration office (OIN) to find a permanent solution to this problem because refugees who are given permission to stay in this country should not be placed into homeless shelters. Migráns Szolidaritás Csoport is additionally concerned that by placing the refugee families in homeless shelters Hungary will be violating the rights of children. A shelter is not a place for children who must prepare themselves for school and certainly cannot be a place to study do homework after school.

This is a terrible ‘solution’ by the Immigration office (OIN), another solution must be found.

Five asylum-seekers from Mali in Hungary went on hunger strike to protest conditions and unjust imprisonment on October 10 2013. Today they were joined by another 55 asylum-seekers, all in the  Békéscsaba detention camp.

Together they are protesting against their deprivation of liberty with an emphasis that they are not criminals but refugees. They also call the world’s attention to the inhumane conditions in the Békéscsaba prison for asylum-seekers which makes their detention unlawful.

The Migráns Szolidaritás Csoport (Migrant Solidarity Group of Hungary) demands from the both OIN (Office of Immigration and Nationality) and the Hungarian Police that they respect the hunger strikers’ right to protest and their chosen method should be respected. And, Migrant Solidarity Group also demands that these and all other asylum-seekers in Hungary be released – seeking asylum is not a crime. After a hunger strike in the prison for asylum-seekers in Nyírbátor during August, 2013, today on 10, October 2013, five asylum-seekers from Mali have started a hunger strike.

بنى آدم اعضای یک پیکرند
که در آفرینش ز یک گوهرند
چو عضوى به درد آورد روزگار
دگر عضوها را نماند قرار
تو کز محنت دیگران بی غمی
نشاید که نامت نهند آدمی
سعدی

Human beings are members of a whole
In creation of one essence and soul
If one member is afflicted with pain
Other members uneasy will remain
If you’ve no sympathy for human pain
The name of human you cannot retain
- Saadi

Today is the Hungarian Day of Poetry.

More on the Saadi’s work, Gulistan here.