Mr President we need you

| Thursday July 15, 2010 00:00

The threat to our existence was in violation of one of the pillars for the existence of any human being according to Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; 'Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.'

We fled from regimes that have no respect for our lives, regimes that do not value such Articles as Article 3 and as such we sought political asylum in Botswana. Botswana, like any other country, has the right to pick what person it might want and say no to any person. Some of us have been in this country for more than 12 years. We are approximately 45 in this category. We are not allowed to work, we are not allowed to leave Dukwi Refugee camp thus no freedom of movement, we are not allowed to enroll to any tertiary education, we are not permitted to question UNHCR on our future, we are not allowed to inform higher government offices of our sufferings etc yet UNHCR still thinks that we are very ok.

Some of us have appeared in more than two interviews and have been rejected more than three times by Botswana government. According to the universal rights, UNHCR was supposed to have helped us, but till to date we do not know where our future lies. We cannot go back to our home countries for fear of losing our lives. Botswana does not want us on its soil and UNHCR, which is supposed to help us, is unwilling to do so.  We do not know where we belong, our future is at stake. Actually even birds are better than us.

To our surprise, one of the interviews that we appeared in, in 2008, which were conducted in March and May respectively, and the results we received, were dated January 2008, and we really do not know what this means. Still in the same interview it was indicated in the letters from the Minister that 'Your application for Refugee status has been Rejected.'

This is misguiding since this was a second or third rejection from the government, and should have been 'Re-Rejected.'According to Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights sub-Article (1) which states that 'everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution' we had the right to seek for asylum; the government has the right to say no to our request, but UNHCR is obliged to find a solution to these 40 or so cases.

This state of frustration infiltrated on us for 10 years and more has led some of us to engage in criminal activities. To our view, if the situation does not change, and Botswana keeps receiving people who are in similar categories, at one point in time Botswana might get impatient people of similar category who will prove to be a very big threat to the peaceful Botswana and become a security threat to the country.

We have made many previous efforts to try and communicate our grievances to the Minister of Justice, Defence and Security but all our efforts have been blocked and similar efforts have been made to try and reach the president but still we were blocked. Recently, we wrote a letter to the president and the minister, but still we have a feeling that the blockage still exists. Without many options left, we are trying to reach you Mr President through the media, this channel used to reach you is supported by Article 19 of the universal rights, which states that 'everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interferences and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.'

There is no smoke without fire. In our analysis as concerned people, we feel that there is improper managing of Refugee affairs by the authenticated offices under the Ministry of Justice, Defence and Security. We much believe that these offices under this ministry are also co-benefiters in our overstaying in this country just like the former and current UNHCR officials. UNHCR, as one of the implementers of Universal Rights, to our surprise, is the violator of the very rights they are supposed to be protecting.

How then will such rights be respected? We are always tossed around between UNHCR and the offices administering refugee affairs under the Ministry of Justice, Defence and Security, when we go to the government offices we are told that the government has done its final decision on our cases and that we should go to UNHCR for help but when we go to UNHCR we are told that the government has not yet pressurised them enough to help us that we are still ok. We have tried many times to request for a meeting with UNHCR previous and current representatives but we are always told that they are busy they cannot see us. As a way of avoiding us, UNHCR representatives have created a barricade using the junior officers who prevent anyone of us from meeting them.

Since we cannot go back home, we cry to you, Your Excellency President Khama, with the help of Article 15 sub-article 2 which states that 'No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality' to help us by enforcing the respected laws of this country in the offices you dedicated in the administering of refugee affairs to liaise with UNHCR in finding us a solution.

UNHCR officials are not willing to help us, yet they can if told to do so. We actually feel that UNHCR is refusing to help us and this is a deliberate move to leave the burden on your government.  We very much thank your government for having allowed us to stay in your country for all these years. Please Your Excellency UNHCR has failed to honour its obligation. Our cry to you, Your Excellency, is supported by Article 5 which states that 'No one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.' Your Excellency we do not know what we have done to UNHCR and the offices under the Ministry of Justice, Defence and Security for the punishment that we are enduring. Your Excellency, we are requesting, through the media that you let us meet you, you will understand us more if you meet and listen to us.

Yours faithfully rejected asylum seekers