Newspaper article about Senegal Refugees.....

[IceFM]

This article was today in the kenyan weekly newspaper "Coastweek":

Refugees in Senegal complain of 'neglect and discrimination'

'The problem with most of these refugees is that they don’t want to go home even though there is no war or danger in their countries anymore'
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DAKAR (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Senegal-based refugees from various parts of Africa have decried what they described as neglect and discrimination by both the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Senegalese government.

The refugees’ complains coincided with the commemoration of the World Refugee Day on Sunday, which was set aside by the United Nations as a day to reflect on the plight of people who fled their countries for fear of persecution.

As one of the peaceful and democratic countries in Africa, Senegal has been playing host to thousands of refugees from all over Africa over the past two decades.

Most refugees fled to the West African country to reclaim their "battered" lives and for better living conditions.

But many of the refugees found themselves in the streets of the capital, Dakar and its suburbs due to lack of job or assistance.

Rodney, a 37-year-old Liberian has been in Senegal since 1990 after fleeing from the civil war in his country.

He said ‘the UNCHR has been telling me and my family one story after the other for 20 years.

Even though we had our refugee status over ten years ago, they failed to provide us with healthcare, accommodation and even food’.

Rodney said for the past twenty years, he has been begging in the street to feed his family of four.

Hassane, a 28-year-old Eritrean refugee moaned "the UNHCR and the Senegalese government are treating refugees with contempt.

"To them, we don’t deserve the respect and treatment other people enjoy.

"They send us from one office to the other for nothing.

"They don’t support us, they don’t relocate us and they don’t even accept our requests for meetings with them.

"They treat us like animals."

For Aldiouma Sissokho, a Mautitanian refugee, "nobody cares about what we go through.

"We are forced to eke out our own living.

"I do what I have to do to survive.

"We have no assistance from anywhere."

Many of the refugees also complained discrimination in the hands of the Senegalese people.

A single-mother refugee who preferred not to be named for fear of reprisal lamented, "the local people have a derogatory term for us.

It’s "nyag" and it means a little rat.

"They call us this name anywhere we go.

"They shouted at us and often tell us why we don’t go home."

Others say they are arrested in the street by the Senegalese police on a daily basis because they don’t have valid documents.

The West Africa Regional Representative of the UNHCR has denied the refugees’ allegations.

Elike Segbor told Xinhua that the commission relies on funding from donors to meet the humanitarian demands of the refugees, adding that the refugees who are supposed to be supported are being supported.

"The problem with most of these refugees is that they don’t want to go home even though there is no war or danger in their countries anymore.

"They want us to relocate them to Europe, U.S., and Canada.

"We already told them that they should go home and they just want to stay around and expect us to relocate them to the West and that is not in our hands," Segbor pointed out.

The UNHCR regional chief said his agency has limited funds and is doing all it can to cater for the needs of refugees.
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EARLIER REPORT:

South Africa regarded refugees’ favorite destination worldwide: UNHCR report

JOHANNESBURG (Xinhua) -- South Africa is the most favored destination by refugees and asylum seekers fleeing their countries, according to the the 2009 Global Trends Report of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Business Day newspaper in Johannesburg on Thursday noted that South Africa popularity among refugees persisted ‘despite fear that a wave of xenophobic violence is set to grip the country after the FIFA World Cup."

In 2008 there was an outbreak of xenophobic in South Africa, mainly in poor areas, which left at least 67 people dead and thousands displaced.

However, the report released on Tuesday by the UNHCR) says South Africa received the highest number of applications by asylum seekers worldwide last year.

The 2009 Global Trends Report says South Africa received 222,000 new asylum applications, out of nearly one million lodged worldwide.

The highest number seeking South African asylum, 49,453 was from neighboring Zimbabwe, even though the country has had a government of national unity for the past two years.

Business Day said Zimbabwe is followed by applications from residents of Malawi (15,697), Ethiopia (10,715), Somalia (3,580) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (6,226).

These applications do not include those from economic migrants.

The head of the UNHCR, António Guterres, said "Major conflicts such as those in Afghanistan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo show no signs of being resolved."

Pumla Rulashe, UNHCR senior public information assistant, said South Africa had the best refugee policy in Africa.

However, this policy did not always translate into refugees being able to exercise their rights, she said.


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[Marisa]

one thing that needs to be mentioned: all these so-called "refugees" in Senegal who contact you on the dating sites are NOT refugees at all. This is a small gang of mostly ethnical Nigerians who comforably live in Senegal and scam. The reason why I beleive it is a relatively small gang coordinated by somebody superior is because they all use the same scripts, the same passwords, the same sets of photos and the same approach on ALL dating sites.

This is NOT a coincidence that they all use the same scripts, passwords and pictures. They are the "catchers" who place the same profiles on all dating sites and being co-ordinating by the same "scam center". So, if you get a message from somebody claiming to be a refugee in Senegal: NO, this is not a real refugee. This is a 419 scammer.

[IceFM]

You`re right. First right when one see always this funny tinkered Refugee ID-cards. They're not more valid since January 2010. I've a example how they look now with description and explanation and its impossible to forge them.
I'm "wondering" only about the UNHCR. I've send them so many Details about the "Girls" and this ID-cards and it should be possible to investigate them......at the first they was interested to know more about this fake ID-cards but since I've mentioned RS.....they're silent. Now I've three Emailaddresses from UNHCR in Suisse but it seems they don't care that this fake "Refugees" spoil the name and the work of the UNHCR.

Maybe more people must send them this fake ID's, to open her eyes for this problem of spoiling her reputation.

[FrumpyBB]

Right we talked about that. Just found the note on my notepad again: "UNHCR sticky".
Err, do you have the address(es) at hand where UNHCR scam fakies can be sent to?

[Pinky]

"We are forced to eke out our own living."

That's what separates human beings from scabs and parasites. Real humans expect to make their own life. Scammers expect others to provide their living.

[IceFM]

This was today in my Mail as answer from the UNHCR in Suisse:

xxxx

Dear Mr. xxxxxxxx,
We certainly appreciate the work you are doing. I will discuss the possibility of a cooperation with colleagues of mine and revert.
Best regards,
xxx xxx

[FrumpyBB]

Nice

[KokotheChattyApple]

I remember baiting a "Senegalese refugee" a while back who was in love with "my character" supposedly. Unfortunately she died due to "bad teeth" and her barrister interveined. Her(his) name was Sharon Williams or Williams Sharon occassionally. I also had a "Senegalese lad" fall in love with my character until she (he) realised that my character was a girl too and referred to her as "your baby sister" eventually. It was really hilarious that the lad didn't get that my character was still "in love" with her (him).

Thanks for providing that interesting article, IceFm!