REJECTED SOMALI ASYLUM SEEKERS DEMONSTRATION

By Mayele - 28.06.2011

On Monday the 20th of June people of Somali nationality gathered in Christiansborg Slotsplads in front of the government building to express their frustrations about the asylum system with regard to their particular plight as rejected asylum seekers.

Talking to one of the demonstrators, one would sense an even deeper need for these disgruntled people to express to the world, what they perceive as a non-accommodating immigration policy.

The newtimes crew approached one of the demonstrators, Mr. Mohamed, and this is what he had to say:

New Times: What is happening? What is the aim of your demonstration?

Mohamed: "We are gathered here as a group of Somali asylum seekers who have been rejected by the Danish Immigration Service. We are trying to make the government know that the decision reached in our cases is wrong because Somalia is a risk place. As known to the world today, Somalia is a very dangerous place in the world. This is a funny thing when the Immigration Service says it is a safe place, and we can go back and live and survive in Somalia.," he said - and continued:

"That is the main point of this demonstration in front of the parliament. And we want, at least, to show the politicians in the Danish government that the bodies handling the issues pertaining to asylum application are not really correctly performing their duty.They are not acting in the light of the Geneva convention. If Somalis can not fulfill the political asylum point, they should, at least, be granted the residence permit on humanitarian grounds," he stated.

Mr. Mohamed took the opportunity to express his perception in regard to the future perspectives of the asylum system. According to him most asylum seekers find it psychologically and socially frustrating when one have to stay in the center for a long period of time. According to Mohamed, the government, as the legislative power brokers of the country, should make laws which support - and not contradict - the Geneva convention.