Published : 09-11-2018
Palestinian refugee from Syria Iyad Suleiman called on the international human rights institutions and NGOs to take urgent action so as to release him from a Thai jail, where he has been detained for nearly one year for overstaying his visa.
In appeals emailed to AGPS, Iyad said he had entered Thailand in 2013 in an attempt to meet with UN officials at the UNHCR and apply for asylum at a European country.
Iyad said he had remained out of sight after his touristic visa expired, pending his UNHCR-brokered transfer to a European destination. He was, however, arrested on November 9, 2017 for overstaying his visa and sent to a Thai prison.
Iyad said that after he had reached out to the UNHCR, the latter told him that there is nothing it can do to help him as the Thai government treats Palestinians as lawbreakers rather than asylum-seekers fleeing war-stricken zones.
Scores of Palestinian and Syrian migrants have been detained in Thailand after their visas had expired.
AGPS continues to call on all concerned bodies, Palestinian institutions, and the Thai authorities to release Iyad and all other Arab refugees held behind prison bars without further delay.
Palestinian refugee from Syria Iyad Suleiman called on the international human rights institutions and NGOs to take urgent action so as to release him from a Thai jail, where he has been detained for nearly one year for overstaying his visa.
In appeals emailed to AGPS, Iyad said he had entered Thailand in 2013 in an attempt to meet with UN officials at the UNHCR and apply for asylum at a European country.
Iyad said he had remained out of sight after his touristic visa expired, pending his UNHCR-brokered transfer to a European destination. He was, however, arrested on November 9, 2017 for overstaying his visa and sent to a Thai prison.
Iyad said that after he had reached out to the UNHCR, the latter told him that there is nothing it can do to help him as the Thai government treats Palestinians as lawbreakers rather than asylum-seekers fleeing war-stricken zones.
Scores of Palestinian and Syrian migrants have been detained in Thailand after their visas had expired.
AGPS continues to call on all concerned bodies, Palestinian institutions, and the Thai authorities to release Iyad and all other Arab refugees held behind prison bars without further delay.
