Dukwi refugee camp: a living hell for asylum seekers?

Kopano Olesitse and Kunyalala Manyepedza
Correspondents | Monday February 28, 2011 00:00

 

The refugees come from countries like Angola, Namibia (Caprivi Strip), Somalia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, Eritrea, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Most of these refugees came to Botswana fearing wars that ravaged their countries. Some of them told of how they lost all their family members in the civil wars in their respective countries. However, it has not been smooth sailing in Botswana, where they hoped to find peace and a chance to lead decent lives. Those interviewed narrated how they have been abused in the Centre For Illegal Immigrants Prison, lamenting that they are even denied permits to go into the cities and towns while there is no counselling centre for the traumatised in the camp. On the other hand authorities said they are concerned over frequent incidents of rape, murders, defilement of minors, possession of drugs, such as Marijuana and assaults causing serious bodily harm in the Dukwi Refugee camp.

Francois Bapolisi, 48, is a refugee from Rwanda, who came to Botswana in 2004. He said: 'I came from Rwanda because of the civil wars in my country that started in 1990. It was such a painful experience for me because these wars started in the area where and my family and I resided. The rebels attacked our country from Uganda and they wiped out all my family. It is so difficult for me because from my country of origin we have big families of up to 20 people per family unit. They killed almost everyone they came across because all they wanted was power. Before I came to Botswana, I stayed briefly in Tanzania,' explained Bapolisi.

He added that to worsen his situation, he was detained without charge upon arrival in Botswana. He said he was kept at the centre for illegal immigrants for close to two years with his wife and children. 'I was an asylum seeker but abused and treated like a criminal in prison. What hurt me the most was that at times we went for days without food and my wife was sometimes compelled to undress in front of our children,' added Bapolisi.

He said that because of the suffering they endured, they need a counselling centre in the camp also that there should be regular communication between refugees and Botswana government officials. 'We also do not want to be called 'refugees' because we have stayed for more than 10 years in this country. Our representatives in the camp are also useless because they like tribalism and treat us as if we are criminals,' fumed Bapolisi.

Meanwhile, Nasser Osman, 40, is a refugee from Eritrea. He came to Botswana in 1998 as an asylum seeker and runs a shop in the camp. 'I came to Botswana because back home, we were persecuted and nearly killed. The problem in Eritrea is that the country is now militarised, the economy is poor and one cannot simply make a living there. I spent my school days in the Sudan also as a refugee. Here in Botswana, it is difficult because one cannot leave the camp without first acquiring a permit, which will specify your dates and time and it's a process that takes time. If one of us (refugees) is caught outside the camp without a permit, the authorities will simply throw you in prison.'

'In 2000, I applied for a residence permit but the government of Botswana turned it down. Right now I am independent from the authorities in Botswana because they simply cannot help us with anything but rather they keep us here in the camp. Fortunately, as a businessman in the camp, I can afford to take my family to private doctors and my children to private schools. Refugees in the camp are not integrated into the society and that creates a barrier for us. Right now, I cannot be given a licence to continue my business in the city and this means that we simply cannot be upgraded,' Osman added.

Osman lives in the camp with his wife and seven children. He said that despite the problems they face, there are government schools, clinic and the Botswana Red Cross Society (BRCS) in the camp, which are useful to them.

For Christophina Lisho, 32, an Angolan refugee, life is simply unbearable in the camp: 'The problem is that we are not allowed to leave the camp because they (authorities) simply do not want to give us permits. We are also humans and so we need to go out and work to make a living. I came to Botswana in 2000 because the war back home was so severe that I lost all my family members, including parents. Right now, all that I do is a little farming in the camp because I grow some fruits and vegetables to try to make ends meet.'

Meanwhile, one Motswana woman lives in the camp with her nurse husband and preferred to talk on condition of anonymity. 'The situation is not too bad in the camp; refugees are normal people and we interact with them quite well. They are the ones running shops here and we buy some of the goods from them. Also there are basic services. We also have the Faith Mission Church here where refugee Christians can worship with Batswana. Also some of the refugees can speak Setswana fluently because they have been in the country for a very long time.The only problem is that there are big poisonous snakes in the camp because we are in the middle of the bush.The other problem is that we have to travel to Dukwi village to buy electricity,' she said.

Habangana Chris, 21, is a Motswana. 'We have a hospital in the camp which is well equipped. Also, there is an ambulance that transports people to bigger hospitals especially those that require Anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs),' he said.

On the whole, Inspector Oteng Selalame of Dukwi Refugee Camp Police Station said that there are incidents of rapes, defilement of minors, murders, assaults and possession of drugs, especially marijuana. He said because there are many civil servants working in the camp, some crimes committed involve Batswana.

'We also have cases of common nuisance. The thing is that we have Batswana living in the camp so some of the rape cases that occur involve Batswana and refugees. Lately, we also had one case of unlawful wounding that involved a Motswana and a refugee because they shared the same house. Refugees are good people and they are managed well. The common language used in the camp is English even though some of them (refugees) speak Setswana well,' said Selalame.

Selalame added that one of their major concerns is the use of marijuana in the camp. He said the crimes are committed by people of all nationalities, and explained that they try to be fair with everyone.

'We do not just throw asylum seekers into prison for no apparent reason. When they arrive, the Refugee Advisory Committee deals with their issues pertaining their stay in the country and so we take them to the Centre for Illegal Immigrants Prison in Francistown. From there, we wait for correspondence from the relevant parties, especially the Office of the President (OP) because it is they that grant them the refugee status,' said Selalame.

He said that at times refugees give them a headache because their permanent place of stay in Botswana is the Dukwi Refugee Camp.

'Often some of them disappear. In general, refugees understand the procedure of the camp as they follow laid down instructions like applying for a permit to leave the camp. These people cannot work in this country because they do not have the relevant papers or work permits. They are refugees and they should abide by that condition,' Selalame explained.

He added that refugees receive daily food ration and other basic necessities from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

OP officials could not be reached for comment on Friday because they were in a meeting.