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[ 20. Apr 2013 ]

Refugees living in the Bicske Reception Centre Awaiting Homelessness

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In November 2012, Refugees from the Bicske Reception Centre in Hungary, went to the streets in Budapest to demand their rights. Now the government want to kick them out of the camp - but they decided to stay. The tension is increasing ...

 


On the Situation of the Refugees living in the Bicske Reception Centre Awaiting Homelessness

Press Release, 19. April 2013

It has been now 18 days since the 92 refugees were asked to leave the camp without future accommodation. They decided to stay until an acceptable solution is found by the Office of Immigration and Nationality (OIN).

During this period the tension has increased. These refugees do not receive the money support anymore and the especially vulnerable refugees with health problems do not get any more medication from the camp which could result in their chronic diseases becoming lethal. The social workers seem not to help them anymore to find a place since they have to take care of the new refugees arriving from the Reception Centre of asylum-seekers in Debrecen to the Bicske camp. The police comes every night and day and checks the refugees’ rooms (not only of those 92) using flashlights through the window.

On Wednesday, 17 April, 2013, a meeting took place with UNHCR and some refugees in order to find a solution. However, there was no place for negotiation and the only option offered by UNCHR for the refugees was to cooperate with OIN and to accept the homeless shelters offered to them by the OIN. However, no guarantees were given by neither UNHCR nor the OIN to ensure that there is enough places available for 92 people. The OIN did not mention anything regarding the permanent address card – which is necessary for future integration plans e.g. applying for the Hungarian citizenship. The OIN threatened the refugees to send the police to the camp and to take refugees’ children away since refugees “will not be able to take care of their children living on the streets”.

The 92 refugees were asked to give an answer within a day and on 18 April, 2013, they let UNHCR know that they do not want go to the shelters for many reasons.

The tension is increasing in the camp. Today over 100 refugees are more afraid that they will be put out of the camp by police. They have to choose between becoming homeless in a shelter or becoming homeless on the street.

Source :: MigránsSzolidaritás, migszol.com