great dail i lu of refugees a d igra ts. With a 24/7 prese e of the ield staf, the Ma edo ia You g

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "great dail i lu of refugees a d igra ts. With a 24/7 prese e of the ield staf, the Ma edo ia You g"

Phyllis Watkins
5 years ago
Views:

1 Ma edo ia Yo u g La ers Asso iatio FIELD REPORT April-May-Ju e

M ACEDONIAN Y OUNG L AWYERS A SSOCIATION FIELD REPORT April Ma Ju e Follo i g the a e d e ts of the la o As lu a d Te porar Prote io that i trodu ed the i te io to seek as lu as a do u e t refugees a

3 M ACEDONIAN Y OUNG L AWYERS A SSOCIATION FIELD REPORT April Ma Ju e Follo i g the a e d e ts of the la o As lu a d Te porar Prote io that i trodu ed the i te io to seek as lu as a do u e t refugees a d igra ts arri i g i the ou tr a e issued, Ma edo ia fa ed a great dail i lu of refugees a d igra ts. With a 24/7 prese e of the ield staf, the Ma edo ia You g La ers Asso iaio o itors the situaio i the ield, oth i TC Vi ojug a d TC Ta a o e, a d ofers legal aid a d ou selli g to the refugees a d igra ts, as ell as assists the Poli e oi ials i issui g the i te io s to seek as lu. APRIL Duri g April the situaio i oth a ps was uite al, refugees howe er with ea h passi g i TC Ta a o e day ore a d ore people i April were lea i g TC Ta a o e i a u k ow dire io a d at TC Vi ojug ore a d ore people were ei g aught tryi g to ross the order irregularly i order to o i ue their jour ey towards Europe. Based o the a aila le u oi ial data at the egi i g of the o th there were etwee refugees a d igra ts a o odated at TC Ta a o e. At TC Vi ojug there were arou d perso s/ households, while perso s were stayi g i the ru hall pro ided just outside the a p. MYLA o i ued to ofer legal aid a d ou selli g at oth a ps a d was prese t / the e ire o th i TC Vi ojug. Duri g this i e the ield lawyers ad ised o legas issues perso s i TC Vi ojug a d perso s i TC Ta a o e, a d assisted e tre ely ul era le i di iduals. MYLA FIELD STAFF Field La ers Data E tr Clerks I terpreters O - all Attor e s / Free Legal Aid Nu er Howe er i TC Ta a o e for weeks our prese e was o ly allowed u il : PM. This restri io was i posed duri g the Ge eral Head uarter Meei g of the Ce tre for Crisis a age e t held o April, where a de isio was adopted to restri t/li it a ess to TC Ta a o e to all NGOs fro : PM u il : AM. The oi ial reaso for adopio of this de isio was that the i situio s Appro i atel irregular igra ts ere apprehe ded the Ma edo ia poli e a d later retur ed to Gree e ithout possi ilit to su it appli aio for as lu i Ma edo ia ha e o luded that duri g these hours the prese e of orga izaio s that do ot ha e a o odaio fa iliies is ot eeded i the a p. I fa t MYLA was the o ly orga izaio that was afe ted y this de isio. With this restri io, it e a e u h easier for push forwards a d push a ks of the people that are stayi g at TC Ta a o e. O ly se eral days ater this de isio was rought the de rease of perso s prese t i the a p was ore tha e ide t. U oi ially, we ha e i for aio that so e refugees ha e ee pushed forward to er ia while so e ha e ee pushed a k to Gree e. O Mo day April, MYLA prepared a d su ited a re uest to Ce tre for Crisis to e fully rei stated while e plai i g why this is ery i porta t. Ater re ei i g support fro O CE, the U E assy, the E assy of the Ki gdo of Norway, La trada a d others, MYLA was allowed to o i ue with its / prese e as of April. I ter s of de elop e ts o er i g refugees, o u day, April, there were te sio s at the order etwee refugees i Gree e a d Ma edo ia poli e

4 MYLA FIELD REPORT for es who had to i ter e e usi g tear gas, sho k o s a d allegedly ru er ullets to pre e t the fro dis a tli g the fe e a d e teri g Ma edo ia y for e. A ordi g to reports there were i jured poli e e a d refugees that eeded edi al assista e. The situaio at the Greek-Ma edo ia order o i ued to e te se ut o larger i ide ts hap- No as lu appli aio s ere a epted authoriies i Ta a o e a d Vi ojug i April pe ed for the rest of the o th. Duri g this o th the pra i e of the Poli e to ot a ept a y asylu lai s o i ued. There were asylu appli a ts i TC Ta a o e who were waii g to e tra sferred to the Re epio Ce tre for asylu seekers i Viz ego o for o er a o th. MYLA s persiste e a d o sta t o u i aio with the e tor for Asylu has resulted posii ely i ter s of se uri g tra sfer fro TC Ta a o e to the Re epio Ce tre for asylu seekers i Viz ego o. Despite this su ess, the authoriies o i ued to li it the a ess to the asylu pro edure y ot a epi g a y appli aio fro the refugees a o odated i oth the tra sit e ters. It has ee reported that there is a i rease of perso s ei g s uggled fro Gree e to Ma edo ia. U oi ially, we ha e i for aio that se eral groups of irregular igra ts were aught y the poli e i arious pla es i Ma edo ia. These groups were i ediately take to the poli e staio i Ge gelija where they were registered, uesio ed a d aterwards ost pro a ly were pushed a k to Gree e. Fro the i for aio we ha e gathered i the ield a total of irregular igra ts were aught y the Ma edo ia poli e/ar y a d pushed a k to Gree e. By the e d of the o th, as i for aio spread that oth Hu gary a d Austria were a epi g arou d perso s per day, the u er of perso s aught i the surrou di gs i Ge gelija grew as well as the u er of perso s li i g TC Ta a o e. MAY Based o u oi ial ou i g perfor ed at the egi i g of the o th, the u er of refugees a o odated at TC Ta a o e was appro i ately perso s, the ajority of who were yria a d Afgha. Howe er, y the e d of the o th this had falle to perso s. Al ost half of the people stayi g i the a p let for er ia y the e d of the o th a d o i ued their jour ey to EU, so e with the help of s ugglers, others usi g other ha els for rossi g the orders. U oi ially it has ee reported that so e push forwards to er ia are ei g o du ted y the authoriies, ut these ru ors a ot e o ir ed. At the sa e i e it has ee reported that irregular igra ts are a agi g to tra el fro Gree e to Ma edo ia a d rea h the tra sit Ce tre Ta a o e where they are a agi g to e ter i o plete sile e usi g so e holes i the fe e, rest for a ouple of days a d the o i ue their jour ey. MYLA staf has re orded appro i ately ew arri als to TC Ta a o e, ut this u er is pro a ly less tha the a tual u er of perso s that a age to e ter TC Ta a o e without ei g dete ted. All of the were e plai ed the asylu pro edure i Nu er of refugees prese t i Ta a o e i Ma as redu ed to people, ith e arri als re orded Ma edo ia ut they were ot i terested i applyi g for asylu a d their ai goal was to o i ue to er ia as soo as possi le. It has also ee reported that perso s were retur ed fro er ia to Ma edo ia while ate pi g to e ter a d a ordi g to their state e ts they all a e fro Gree e ut were aught y the eria authoriies. All of the stated that they will o i ue to try u il they su eed a d o e of the was i terested i su ii g a asylu lai i Ma edo ia. O u day, th of May, a group of appro i ately I Ma appro i atel irregular igra ts ere apprehe ded Ma edo ia poli e a d later retur ed to Gree e perso s oarded a trai that was goi g to er ia i the late e e i g hours. The refugees started gei g of the trai a d o o e was i iially willi g to talk to us, ut ater a while they i for ed us that poli e oi ers allegedly i for ed the that a ew group of perso s was due to arri e i Ta a o e a d therefore they would eed to ake spa e i the a p y oardi g a trai that will take the to er ia. No further i foraio was pro ided a d we a o ly assu e that this operaio was a orted e ause of the prese e of our ield staf duri g the ate pt.

5 MYLA FIELD REPORT All of the refugees that a e to MYLA for assista e were pro ided with the e essary i for aio. I total arou d perso s were gi e legal ou seli g i TC Ta a o e duri g May, ostly o uesio s regardi g the asylu pro edure i Ma edo ia, fa ily reu ii aio, so ial se urity i Ma edo ia, possi ility for i di g jo, i for aio regardi g the o diio s for a o odaio i the re epio Ce tre for asylu seekers i Viz ego o, i tegraio pro ess i Ma edo ia a d other i for aio. It has ee reported that i se eral ases the poli e ha e i ter epted a lot of refugees who ha e ee oarded o to ilitary tru ks a d se d to u k ow loaio s without e e ei g take to uesio i g, ea i g that the total u er of push a ks to Gree e ay e sig ii a tly higher. Despite re ei i g i foraio o the asylu pro edure i Ma edo ia o e of these perso s were i terested i su ii g a asylu lai. I addiio, it has ee reported that fro those that were i ter epted, irregular igra ts ha e ee detai ed a d se t to the Ce tre for foreig ers Gazi Ba a i kopje. Based o this i for aio, they will ost pro a ly e used as wit esses i ri i al pro edures, therefore they will e kept i ustody u il they tesify. Apart fro worki g i the Tra sit Ce ters, MYLA staf ade isits to the poli e staio i Ku a o o a d other surrou di g illages together with represe tai es fro UNHCR duri g whi h isits o refugees were spoted. By the e d of the o th a total of order o itori g isits were o du ted y MYLA s o ile tea o eri g illages alo g the order with Gree e. Duri g this o itori g isits o refugees were spoted ut fro o ersaio s with the lo al populaio we fou d that those roads a d parts of wood are fre ue ted y refugees tryi g to ross Ma edo ia o their way to their i al desi aio. JUNE As i the pre ious o th, the total u er of refugees stayi g i TC Ta a o e kept de reasi g a d y the e d of the o th there were appro i ately o ly perso s let. A ordi g to u oi ial i for aio all of the are fro yria, e ause the last fa ilies fro Afgha ista let at the e d of the o th. refugees prese t i Ta a o e i Ju e Based o u oi ial i for aio, the Ma edo ia order poli e are assisi g the refugees to ross the order with er ia. The refugees told our ield staf that o se eral o asio s, the poli e approa hed a d told the that they should o i ue their jour ey to er ia i the shortest possi le i e otherwise they will e se t a k to Gree e si e this tra sit Ce tre will e losed. Howe er, there is o pre ise data o the u er of i di iduals pushed forward to er ia y the poli e, or o ir aio of whether this alleged i foraio gi e y the poli e is true. I TC Ta a o e arou d perso s were ofered legal ad i e a d ou selli g regardi g the right to asylu i Ma edo ia, as well as other uesio s the refugees had like fa ily reu ii aio, so ial se urity i Ma edoia, jo possi iliies, health i sura e, right to edu aio et. It has ee reported that the refugees are allowed to e it the tra sit Ce tre a d shop for food fro the ear shop i the illage of Ta a o e. The poli e authoriies are ore le i le a d tolera t toward the i ter s of e try/e it fro the a p as a result of the fosteri g o th a d de reased u er of the populaio i this Ce tre. This is e ide t also fro the fa t that the daily arri al of ew refugees i TC Ta a o e o i ues. I Ju e appro i atel irregular igra ts ere apprehe ded Ma edo ia poli e a d ere later retur ed to Gree e O a daily asis etwee a d people arri e i the a p, rest for a day at est a d the o i ue their jour ey to er ia. Due to the s all u er of people stayi g these perso s are e ide t a d easily spoted ut o o e has had a y pro le with the authoriies. Most arri als are you g ales tra elli g alo e, who ha e spe t appro i ately - days to rea h the a p fro Gree e. Towards the iddle of the o th we had a father a d his two so s arri e at the a p a d i o ersaio with us stated that he had ee kept hostage i the illage Vaksi e, ear the a p, for days. MYLA s ield staf e plai ed the asylu pro edure to hi a d his so s ut they were ot willi g to stay here e ause they felt u safe i the ou try, a d withi days fro arri i g they let the a p. MYLA s lawyers isited the Poli e taio i Ku a o o, ater they were i for ed that a group of people had ee apprehe ded tryi g to irregularly rea h the order with er ia.

6 MYLA FIELD REPORT They were ofered legal ad i e ut were ot i terested i seeki g asylu i Ma edo ia, si e their i al desiaio s were Ger a y a d Italy. Duri g i for al o ersaio with so e of the poli e oi ers we were i for ed that o er the past two o ths, a lot of refugees who had ee aught i the surrou ded illages while tryi g to rea h er ia were rought to the poli e staio i Ku a o o. Duri g Ju e, refugees were a o odated at TC Vi ojug, with al ost all ha i g pre iously ee a o odated at TC Ta a o e whe the orders were losed a d they ould ot o i ue their jour ey. MYLA s ield lawyers ofered legal ad i e to refugees, ost of who were perso s rought y the poli e e ause they were aught tryi g to irregularly ross i Ma edo ia. The ield lawyers also reported that the total u er of irregular igra ts that were pushed a k to Gree e ater ei g aught o Ma edoia territory i Ju e was perso s. people i MYLA staf oth e ters ere assisted Duri g the repori g period our o ile tea ha e re orded i di iduals, who ha e pre iously su ited a asylu appli aio i Ma edo ia residi g i the Re epio Ce tre for Foreig ers i Viz ego o that were retur ed fro er ia to Ma edo ia ater ei g aught y the er ia authoriies. They i for ed us, ater arri i g i TC Ta a o e that they will try agai to ross the order with er ia as soo as o diio s allowed it. E e tually, all of these i di iduals a aged to ross the order with er ia a d o i ue their jourey to the EU. No e of the i ter epted perso o plai ed a out a use a d iolaio s fro the er ia a d/or Ma edo ia authoriies. I oth a ps su ii g a asylu lai has o i ued to e a ur i g issues for the refugees that wish to do so. MYLA is o sta tly addressi g this eha ior of the poli e i eei gs with the authoriies a d the i ter aio al o u ity, ut so far there has ee o ha ge to the pra i es of the poli e, e e though the authoriies are uite aware that they are reaki g the laws y refusi g to allow asylu seekers to su it asylu lai s. With this eha ior, the authoriies are a agi g to keep the u er of asylu lai s low a d deter the refugees fro applyi g for asylu i Ma edo ia. I oth e ters Vi ojug a d Ta a o e refugees o i ue to fa e dii ulies ith su issio of as lu appli aio s O Ju e oi ials fro the e tor for Asylu we t to TC Vi ojug a d, without allowi g MYLA s lawyers prese e, i ter iewed perso s i terested to apply for asylu a d su se ue tly took the to the Poli e staio i Ge gelija to ill out write appli aio s a d take their i gerpri ts. They were told that they would e tra sferred to the Re epio Ce tre i Viz ego o o Ju e, howe er, they were e er tra sferred due to o er rowdi g, a d they were ot oiied a out their pro edure. I addiio to ot ei g allowed to ate d the o du ted i ter iews, MYLA was ot oiied a out these i ter iews y the fa, or did we re ei e a y oii aio a out their pro edure. O e ore fa ily, of e ers, was i iially i terested i seeki g asylu, ut ater they were i for ed that their hildre will ot e a le to re ei e the e essary edial ate io i Ma edo ia they ha ged their i ds. MYLA o du ted o itori g i illages o the souther order order MYLA o du ted o itori g i the order illages o the souther order, o eri g i total

MYLA FIELD REPORT Ma edo ia You g La ers Asso iaio MYLA is a i depe de t, o parisa, professio al orga izaio hi h pro ides legal aid a d strategiall liigates to prote t hu a rights.

MYLA stri es for a so iet i hi h the rule of la is esta lished a d people proa i el stri e for the respe t of their hu a rights.

8 MYLA FIELD REPORT Ma edo ia You g La ers Asso iaio MYLA is a i depe de t, o parisa, professio al orga izaio hi h pro ides legal aid a d strategiall liigates to prote t hu a rights. B usi g the k o ledge a d i o ai e apa iies of ou g la ers, MYLA pro otes the rule of la a d i lue es poli through resear h a d ad o a. MYLA stri es for a so iet i hi h the rule of la is esta lished a d people proa i el stri e for the respe t of their hu a rights. MYLA is the o l orga izaio i the Repu li of Ma edo ia that pro ides free legal aid a d represe ts as lu seekers, refugees, stateless perso s a d other perso s of o er i pro edures related to as lu, legal reside e a d other so ial rights. MYLA s ork has ee ge erousl supported The U ited Naio s High Co issio er for Refugees, the Ki gdo of the Netherla ds a d O fa. Co ta t Us Address: )latko Sh ajder a- /, Skopje, Ma edo ia Telepho e: + E ail: o ta t@ la.org. k Visit us o our we site. la.org. k

BANDERA SQUARE FOR LEASE. 451 Bandera Rd, San Antonio, TX Bethany Babcock. Zach Parra. Principal

BANDERA SQUARE FOR LEASE. 451 Bandera Rd, San Antonio, TX Bethany Babcock. Zach Parra. Principal 451 Bandera Rd, San Antonio, TX 78228 Bethany Babcock Principal Zach Parra Senior Leasing Agent 1380 PANTHEON WAY STE 290 SAN ANTONIO, TX 78232 FORESITECRE.COM LEASE BROCHURE OFFERING SUMMARY PROPERTY