arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Faruk Demirci (born 1972) was captured and tortured in Turkish prison in May 1999, because of his sympathies for the Kurdish resistance. As a result of these tortures, Faruk lost his hearing in one ear and he is disabled in one knee. A Belgian medical doctor confirmed several permanent injuries directly caused by this torture. The police raid at Faruk's home also resulted in severe, permanent burn wounds for his oldest son Azad.

After Faruk's release from prison and the capture of one of his close friends, Faruk fled for his life. At the same time his wife Ayse (born 1973), and their 3 kids (now 3 to 8 years old) fled to safety in Belgium. After confirmation of their safe arrival, Faruk joined them end of 2000 and they applied for Political Asylum in Belgium.

It is clear that a return to Turkish Kurdistan will directly result in prosecution, torture and worse for Faruk and his family. The fate of political prisoners in Turkey is well known (cfr. e.g. report of the US Department of State, "Turkey Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1999", dd. February 25, 2000 and recent reports by Amnesty International).

The continuing discrimination and terrorisation of the Kurdish community in eastern Turkey is also illustrated by the occupation and destruction of their schools by the Turkish army. Consequently Faruk and Ayse are both illiterate.

The family Demirci has been living in the Belgian village of Nevele for over 2 years now. They have become active and respected members of the local community. The three children are at the local kindergarten, primary school and soccer club. They are fully participating in their classes and have already an active knowledge of Dutch. They have already learned reading, writing and number handling to an extent that Faruk and Ayse never were allowed to reach in Turkey.

But now the family is accused of having deceived the Belgian state and of having unlawfully requested political asylum. A fingerprint match found in a German refugee database, appears to indicate that they had already been registered as refugees in another European country prior to their arrival in Belgium. This is not allowed according the Schengen treaty and is sufficient basis for the Belgian authorities to refuse asylum for the Demirci family.

Regretfully the Belgian authorities have completely ignored the core issue of the asylum request, which is the proven danger for the family when they are forced to return to Turkey. Instead the authorities chooses to concentrate on a procedural issue for which a 100% certain proof can not even be delivered.

As a last resort the Demirci family is applying for a residence permit based on humanitarian grounds. We can only hope that human considerations will finally prevail.
.

It's incredible that for administrative reason , human people and his all family is comdamne to return for to be executed by soldiers of their own land.
If , a solution is not found to save theire 5 lives Belgian administration will be responsible of this murders too.

I agree with the fact that we have to do something on the fled of immigrants. Also we have to avoid 5 times the same procedure for the same request.
Thats were the Schengen treaty is for.

But when we place the letter above common sence and human dignety than I get the feeling I am in Russia or Bolivia.

The person(s) who revailed the information, nowing the sistuation with all the proof and so on, will be responsible for the distroing of five lives over just a technical matter in this case.

If I live in a country where it's possible for political reasons and/or bureaucracy, people were sent back to hell,
then I am deeply, very deeply ashamed to be a Belgium cityzen.

I have to think at Jezus: who asked if it was good to destroi a soul or rescue a soul on a sabath. When the farizeen and priest didn't react, He lookt on them with great aversion, because of there mercilessly, and healed the person in front of them

You have to be correct but not holier than the Paupe.

Force these people to go back to "Kurdistan" ( a non existing country ) can NEVER be the solution. If this is not a case to stay on humanitarian grounds, I cannot imagine a better one. Who will blame the father of trying again in another country, after being refused in Germany.
This is just an sad excuse to be not responsible for the lives of 5 people. Poor Europe.

I really hope this family will stay in Belgium.
They are active in the local community and their childrens have a good chance of having a decent life.
If they must return to Turkey, their children will have no future:
- no good education
- a injured father who will not easily find an job; also because he is illiterate
- maybe no father at all if he has again to endure torture.

Let's indeed hope that human considerations, kindness, repect and warmth get the better of the "cold procedural wall" behind which policy makers very eagerly like to hide. They cannot be blamed, since they followed the procedures so rigourously (which they will not when it is in their best interest not to). And, as is often the case, it is once more the law-abiding, honest, hard working individual that is envisaged, of whom they think (s)he will not be able to resist, to apply pressure. I therefore hope your "local" initiative (which proves those people are very welcome in the community) will grow to have a "global" effect in that people realize what kind of cruelties still prevail in so called advanced countries, soon to be members of the European Union (which, in the end, may turn out to be just a farce as well)

The situation in the Netherlands is the same and even worser since the 15 may elections.
I used to work for the Dutch government with AMA refugees.
The authorities sended them back (f.e. to Germany) when they find out there was a previous demand in that country.
I think the permit on humanitarian grounds is the only chance, because all Shengen country's are behaving the same way in this.
The only thing you can ask your mayor is to be civil disobedient by according those people all social facilities. That's the way some mayors and there administrations are doing in the Netherlands. Once people are refused at the end of the procedure they are considered outlaws: they have to quit the asylum centra and do not recieve anymore money, food etc. and they are excluded from medical help...
The late government even asked schools to report illegal children: they refused until now.
Only churches are organising help for those men, women and children.
The officials are behaving in a way that is near what happened on the eve of WW2!
So we have to be vigilant and take the oportunity of the coming elections in Belgium! But we also have to be careful with minimizing the problem to 'my Kurd or our Afghan' (that is always the good one)...it is the story of thousands of people, citizens of the world who have the right to be here only because they are humans, and that's the point, the only one!
Good luck!
gie.