The suffering and the unknown fate of shousha refugees
We are 228 refugees from different nationalities (Sudan – Somali –Eritrea – Ethiopia – Chad ) who got the refugee status from UNHCR, and living in shousha camp, the total number of our files are 157.
Some of us fled from the conflict in Libya and reach the camp before September 2011 and others at end of November and arrived at shousha camp in December, we had got the refugee status under the mandate of Geneva convention but unfortunately the UNHCR informed us that they will not refer our files for resettlement in third country instead they told us we will be integrated locally in Tunisia but we not see this as tangible solution due to the following reason:
1:- Racial discrimination that we had and still experienced in Tunisia in many area of the life even in the most humanitarian place in the country which are the hospitals.
Also what happen in may 2011 when the local Tunisian citizen came to the camp and burn the tents beat the refugees and kill some of them is the biggest evidence of racism against the refugees.
Also what happen in 5th of march in city of Aram when Tunisian national guard and the military stop the refugees and prevent them from going to Tunis and beat them use racially insulting terms like Negros – dirty refugees -slaves and other bad words .
2:-The lack of the security and safety in the country due to instable situation of the country .
3:- There is no law that protect our right in Tunis as the right of family reunion right of travel document and other rights
So these are some of the reasons that make us refuse the local integration in Tunis.
This is what happen in Aram.
In 5-3-2013 we were prevented in city called Aram to go to the capital by Tunisian army and police after that they left us in the road for about 24h without any food or water, by the way we were 52 refugees 14 children, 13women, 9 unaccompanied and 16 men. After that we were beaten and oppression by Tunisian police and forced to go back to the camp they use racially insulting terms like (you are dirty slaves – wasefan this is Tunisian word mean Negroes and we were treated like animal but we don’t know why, because according to the international law the refugee certificate allow us to move freely within the country also that’s what the UNHCR told us too, and we still suffering from what happen until now we have children they couldn’t sleep, bedwetting they screaming all night and some women too. So this is what happen in brief.
Our only demand is to have equal chance to send our files to resettlement countries, like other refugees live in shousha camp where we will be respected and treated like human been.
We need just to live normal life like human been that’s our only demand.
Now we are protesting in front of UNHCR office in Tunis and we want you to come and sport us we have women and babies.
Please go to www.facebook.com/refugees.shousha to see more thing.
