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NECS-Europe is Appealing on behalf of Eritreans in Malta
London, 30 Sep 2003
Eritreans are going through another wave of threatening situation in Malta. Our organisation, Network of Eritrean Civil Societies in Europe (NECS-Europe), has been informed that once again a grave situation is developing in Malta regarding the Eritrean nationals who are under the mercy of the Maltese officials.
During the last few days our organisation and sister societies have been campaigning hard to bring the plight of Eritreans to the attention of human rights organisations, local governments, the media and individual activists. The campaign is paying off and more and more international institutions have become aware of what is happening in Malta.
NECS-Europe received more information on the hunger strike which Maltese officials are dismissing as ‘not official’. We know now that there are 86 Eritreans in Safi Barracks and nearly all of them are on hunger strike. Today many of them started showing fatigue and those who collapsed were put in ambulances and transported to a hospital.
According to a letter NECS-Europe received today, the Eritreans wrote they are tired of life in captivity, isolation and ‘forced idleness’. ‘We have not committed any crime’ stated the letter. Further more, they wrote:
“We have always respected the law, and travelled illegally only because we had no choice. All of us have fled situation that made our lives unbearable. Since we arrived in Malta we have always co-operated with the authorities, and none of us have ever caused any trouble. There is no reason to believe that we would behave otherwise if we were to be allowed to have our freedom.”
NECS-Europe strongly condemns the harsh treatment of Eritreans in Maltese camps. In the past Maltese officials cruelly deported 223 Eritreans back to Eritrea. In fact, the authorities refused to give names of the deported. As civil societies in Europe and Amnesty International reported it, the deportees landed in jail as soon as they arrived in Eritrea and later relocated to different parts of the country. They are still in jail, they do not have any visiting right and are denied contact with the outside world.
On behalf of our member societies, NECS-Europe is strongly protesting against the negative developments of events in Malta, and calls upon UNHCR, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Council of Europe and various Eritreans organisations in diaspora (political and civil societies) to look into the matter as soon as possible.
NECS-Europe
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