Published : 10-01-2015
Ali Howaidi
Writer and Palestinian Affairs Researcher
After the Cypriot cost guards rescued the refugees' boat while heading to the Italian shores through the port of Mersin city in Turkey on 25-9-2014, and after receiving them and establishing a special camp for them in a suburb at the Cypriot capital Nicosia, under the name of " Illegitimate Refugees", after providing them the necessary initial needs, after they have been forced to "fingerprinting" in Cyprus and after being deprived form reaching European countries, after the three months legal residency, granted by the Cypriot authorities,Yet, almost 340 Palestinian Syrian refugees, who fled of the ongoing war in Syria, are living in a state of fear and anticipation about the unknown future and destiny.
On 22nd of October 2014, the Cypriot interior minister "Socrates Hasikos" promised to provide any possible facilities to the residents of the camp, within the Cypriot law and the Palestinian refugeesinternational laws, in order to find a suitable solution that will guarantee the Palestinian human rights according to the international norms. Simply, his promise was not achieved yet and there was news about preparations by the Cypriot authorities to close the camp without providing alternatives, therefore, the refugees have begun to wonder about their fate and the ways and prospects of solutions.
Meanwhile, the refugees did not stop demanding to settle their legal situation and to asylum to any European country, as they expressed their demands with every possible activity; sit-in, protest, statements, and appeals to the international organizations, such as IRC, human rights organizations, European Commission, and the Palestinian Consulate. However, the refugees did not receive any practical answer that would meet the size of their humanitarian and legal needs, conversely, initiatives were carried out by some Palestinians, who are residing in Cyprus, such as visits to look over the conditions of the camp, and to provide the available aids.
There is no way for the refugees to go back where they came from after they lost their passports and documents, let alone begin to face some security problems; as the refugee "Ahmed Abdullah", a resident of Al Baramka neighborhood in Damascus, died on 25/12/2014 in mysterious circumstances, where his body was found dumped on the side of the roads several days after disappearing, while the investigation of the Cyprus Ministry of Interior is still continuous, as the criminals were not captured yet.
This is not the first time for the Palestinian refugees, who were displaced from Syria, to be forced to ride the sea escaping the ravages of the war and searching for a safe haven, though they truly know the risks of the migration trip either to their lives, their money, and their families, and what they may face such as climate changes and sea storms, in addition to the disregard of the countries located at the shores. The refugees even endure the consequences of the conflict between the scammers, gangs of human trafficking and smuggling brokers to Europe.
In the " disastrous Friday ", 11/10/2013 a boat carrying between 400 to 500 refugees sank because of the failure of the Italian authorities in the rescue operation where the waves swept the boat off Malta, which in turn apologized for assistance as a result of the lack of potential, and then the Italian authorities intervened to save after 20 minutes but it was too late, since the boat sank and 233 refugees survived, only 36 bodies were documented, and around 150 victims remained in the wreckage of the smashedboat.
On November 2013, each of the Euro-Mid Observer for human rights in Geneva and the European-Palestinian Relation Council in Brussel issued a 60 pages joint statement, tilted as "Death Boats". The statement documents the reasons that led the refugees to ride the sea, that was concluded with searching for life due to the loss of secure and the absence of the UN care at the neighboring countries.
What is rapidly required now from the concerned Palestinian and Cypriot authorities, the human rights organization, and the UNCHR, is to seek to find a legal and humanitarian solution that would keep the refugees' dignity in the campand to suggest suitable alternative solutions, especially that the Palestinian refugee, in this case, has become out of the UNRWA scope and temporarily protected by the UNHCR, which visits the camp and look over the refugees conditions, who are not officially registered on its records, according that the refugees in Cyprus are generally related to the refugees at the EU countries, which has its own regulations, yet the UNHCR accused Cyprus, on May 2014, of providing unsuitable conditions for the refugees.
After all the targeting that faces the Palestinian refugee, it is absolutely necessary now to seek for a physical protection for the refugees, whether in Syria or other areas of "UNRWA" scope.
Shame on the United Nations that the Palestinian refugees are not equal with other refugees in the world, and after about 67 years ofdisplacement, diaspora and immigration, the physical protection law has not been appliedon them in the places of the displacement.
Ali Howaidi
Writer and Palestinian Affairs Researcher
After the Cypriot cost guards rescued the refugees' boat while heading to the Italian shores through the port of Mersin city in Turkey on 25-9-2014, and after receiving them and establishing a special camp for them in a suburb at the Cypriot capital Nicosia, under the name of " Illegitimate Refugees", after providing them the necessary initial needs, after they have been forced to "fingerprinting" in Cyprus and after being deprived form reaching European countries, after the three months legal residency, granted by the Cypriot authorities,Yet, almost 340 Palestinian Syrian refugees, who fled of the ongoing war in Syria, are living in a state of fear and anticipation about the unknown future and destiny.
On 22nd of October 2014, the Cypriot interior minister "Socrates Hasikos" promised to provide any possible facilities to the residents of the camp, within the Cypriot law and the Palestinian refugeesinternational laws, in order to find a suitable solution that will guarantee the Palestinian human rights according to the international norms. Simply, his promise was not achieved yet and there was news about preparations by the Cypriot authorities to close the camp without providing alternatives, therefore, the refugees have begun to wonder about their fate and the ways and prospects of solutions.
Meanwhile, the refugees did not stop demanding to settle their legal situation and to asylum to any European country, as they expressed their demands with every possible activity; sit-in, protest, statements, and appeals to the international organizations, such as IRC, human rights organizations, European Commission, and the Palestinian Consulate. However, the refugees did not receive any practical answer that would meet the size of their humanitarian and legal needs, conversely, initiatives were carried out by some Palestinians, who are residing in Cyprus, such as visits to look over the conditions of the camp, and to provide the available aids.
There is no way for the refugees to go back where they came from after they lost their passports and documents, let alone begin to face some security problems; as the refugee "Ahmed Abdullah", a resident of Al Baramka neighborhood in Damascus, died on 25/12/2014 in mysterious circumstances, where his body was found dumped on the side of the roads several days after disappearing, while the investigation of the Cyprus Ministry of Interior is still continuous, as the criminals were not captured yet.
This is not the first time for the Palestinian refugees, who were displaced from Syria, to be forced to ride the sea escaping the ravages of the war and searching for a safe haven, though they truly know the risks of the migration trip either to their lives, their money, and their families, and what they may face such as climate changes and sea storms, in addition to the disregard of the countries located at the shores. The refugees even endure the consequences of the conflict between the scammers, gangs of human trafficking and smuggling brokers to Europe.
In the " disastrous Friday ", 11/10/2013 a boat carrying between 400 to 500 refugees sank because of the failure of the Italian authorities in the rescue operation where the waves swept the boat off Malta, which in turn apologized for assistance as a result of the lack of potential, and then the Italian authorities intervened to save after 20 minutes but it was too late, since the boat sank and 233 refugees survived, only 36 bodies were documented, and around 150 victims remained in the wreckage of the smashedboat.
On November 2013, each of the Euro-Mid Observer for human rights in Geneva and the European-Palestinian Relation Council in Brussel issued a 60 pages joint statement, tilted as "Death Boats". The statement documents the reasons that led the refugees to ride the sea, that was concluded with searching for life due to the loss of secure and the absence of the UN care at the neighboring countries.
What is rapidly required now from the concerned Palestinian and Cypriot authorities, the human rights organization, and the UNCHR, is to seek to find a legal and humanitarian solution that would keep the refugees' dignity in the campand to suggest suitable alternative solutions, especially that the Palestinian refugee, in this case, has become out of the UNRWA scope and temporarily protected by the UNHCR, which visits the camp and look over the refugees conditions, who are not officially registered on its records, according that the refugees in Cyprus are generally related to the refugees at the EU countries, which has its own regulations, yet the UNHCR accused Cyprus, on May 2014, of providing unsuitable conditions for the refugees.
After all the targeting that faces the Palestinian refugee, it is absolutely necessary now to seek for a physical protection for the refugees, whether in Syria or other areas of "UNRWA" scope.
Shame on the United Nations that the Palestinian refugees are not equal with other refugees in the world, and after about 67 years ofdisplacement, diaspora and immigration, the physical protection law has not been appliedon them in the places of the displacement.
