LETTER TO THE MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT COUNCIL OF AMSTERDAM ZUID-OOST
ABOUT THEIR REFUSAL TO PROVIDE BASIC NEEDS FOR THE REJECTED REFUGEES OF THE VLUCHTGARAGE
Dear Readers
A Happy, Healthy 2014 with a continuation of the struggle against injustice and human rights violations.
Hereby my translated letter to the members of the district council of Amsterdam Zuid-Oost [South-East], which
I wrote in december 2013 about their refusal to provide elementary
facilities to thegroup of rejected refugees, who is staying for now in the Vluchtgarage, Kralenbeek 100,
Amsterdam Zuid-Oost.
With great respect for those, who squatted the ”Vlucht” locations for the refugees, everytime when they were evicted again.
And with thanks to the Christen-Unie, which did the proposal in the District Council to provide
the refugees from basic needs.
See below
Kind greetings
Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
LETTER TO THE MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT COUNCIL OF AMSTERDAM ZUID-OOST [South East]
To the members of District Council of Amsterdam Zuid-Oost [South East, which is a district of the municipality of Amsterdam]
Subject:
Your refusal to provide elementary facilities like water, electric and basic sanitary for the
refugees, who are staying at Kralenbeek 100.
””In terms of economic and social rights, the Assembly considers, that the following minimum
rights, inter alia, should apply:
13.1 adequate housing and shelter guaranteeing human dignity should be afforded to irregular migrants”
RESOLUTION 1509
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
“HUMAN RIGHTS OF IRREGULAR MIGRANTS”
Dear Members,
Hereby I want to draw your attention for the following:
Being an inhabitant of Amsterdam Zuid-Oost I want to utter my protest and indignation about the descsion
in your board meeting, not to provide elementary facilities to the refugees in the Vluchtgarage [Flight garage], their
living place, after been evicted from so many former locations.
I consider your refusal not only as a serious human rights violation, but especially as inhuman and barbaric, since
the winter is coming.
I have great respect for the Christen-Unie [Christian Union], which has proposed in your meeting, that those facilities
should be provided to the refugees in need [2] AND those members of the board, who supported the proposal
of the Christen-Unie.
As well as the Christen-Unie as the members of the district Council, who supported the proposal,
have shown elementary respect for the human rights of any human being, whether his/her stay in the
Netherlands is ”legal” or not.
This should go without saying, but since apparently thise, who voted against the Christian Unie proposal,
have an opposite opinion, I will remind them of Resolution 1509 ”Human rights of irregular migrants” [people
who are illegal in a country] of the Council of Europe, which confirmed the rights of illegals to ”housing and shelter” [3]
BACKGROUND/MESSING AROUND WITH REFUGEES
Of course you are familiar with the fact, that the group of refugees, who are staying in the Vluchtgarage,
belong to a greater group of rejected refugees, who can’t return to their country because of the warlike
situation [countries like Somalia, Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan] [4]
Yet those people have no right to elementary humanitarian facilities except medical care and the right to judicial
assistance.
The right on housing, basic needs like food and clothing, the most necessary thintgs in the world,
is denied to them.
A shame and disgrace to the Dutch government, but also a shame to you, members
of the district Council, who deny them the right to live as a human being.
The municipality government of the central city of Amsterdam [5] has messed around scandalously with
the human rights of those rejected refugees in need.
First evicted of Tentkamp Notweg [6], then evicted from the Vluchtkerk [Flight Church][7], the Vluchtflat [Flight Flat] [8] and the
Vluchtkantoor [Flight Office] [9], a group found finally limited shelter [provided by the municipality government] in
the ”Vluchtbajes” [Flightjail][10]
And now there is a group of rejected Refugees, who could not go to Vluchtbajes [11] and therefore
Vluchtgarage was squatted for them and you refuse any help to them.
Not only inhuman, but also hypocritical.
Because the chair of the District Council Mr Herrema is lighting Christmas trees in the shopping
centre in the Arena Poort, but for those, who ask warmth and protection in the Vluchtgarage
Kralenbeek, is no place in the Inn.
EPILOGUE/TO THEM, WHO VOTED AGAINST FACILITIES
In your District Council meeting the decision has been made to deny a group of
refugees the basic needs as warmth, food and electricity.
A scandalous decision contrary all rules of civilisation and decency.
But you can still turn the tide and provide to those people the basic needs, so that they
can live like human beings, during the winter and thereafter.
If you don’t:
Think about your inhumanity, when you enjoy your richly Christmas dinner.
But I suppose, that you will give the preference to human rights
and will take the right decision,
I wish you a quick humanitarian recovery.
Kind greetings
Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
[1]
AMSTERDAM: ”WE ARE HERE” SQUAT VLUCHTGARAGE
15 DECEMBER 2013
[2]
Gisteravond is door de ChristenUnie een motie ingediend om het stadsdeel te bewegen medewerking te verlenen bij het aansluiten van de basisvoorzieningen energie en water in de Vluchtgarage, waar een grote groep vluchtelingen toevlucht heeft genomen.
Translation
Yesterday the Christian Union proposed in the district Council meeting to provide basic facilities like electricity and water to the
Vluchtgarage, which is inhabitated now by a great number of Refugees
CHRISTEN UNIE
PAROOL: ”STROOM BLIJFT UIT IN VLUCHTGARAGE
PAROOL: NO ELECTRICITY IN VLUCHTGARAGE
AMSTERDAM CHRISTEN-UNIE
ENGLISH
[3]
”In terms of economic and social rights, the Assembly considers, that the following minimum
rights, inter alia, should apply:
13.1 adequate housing and shelter guaranteeing human dignity should be afforded to irregular migrants”
RESOLUTION 1509
COUNCIL OF EUROPA
“HUMAN RIGHTS OF IRREGULAR MIGRANTS”
[4]
AMSTERDAM: ”WE ARE HERE” SQUAT VLUCHTGARAGE
15 DECEMBER 2013
[5]
The District Council of Zuid-Oost is a limited independent part of the Central City of Amsterdam
[6]
AMSTERDAM: ”WE ARE HERE” SQUAT VLUCHTGARAGE
15 DECEMBER 2013
[7]
AMSTERDAM (THE NETHERLANDS): NORWEG REFUGEES BRING THEIR PROTEST
INTO A SQUATTED CHURCH, THE VLUCHTKERK
DE VLUCHTKERK
IN ENGLISH: THIS IS OUR STORY
THE AMSTERDAM HERALD
REFUGEES FACE UNCERTAIN FUTURE AS THEY LEAVE AMSTERDAM CHURCH AFTER SIX MONTHS
31 MAY 2013
AMSTERDAM: ”WE ARE HERE” SQUAT VLUCHTGARAGE
15 DECEMBER 2013
[8]
AMSTERDAM: ”WE ARE HERE” SQUAT VLUCHTGARAGE
15 DECEMBER 2013
[9]
AN ACTIVIST UPDATE OF WE ARE HERE IN AMSTERDAM
11 NOVEMBER 2013
AMSTERDAM: ”WE ARE HERE” SQUAT VLUCHTGARAGE
15 DECEMBER 2013
WE ARE HERE [WIJ ZIJN HIER]
MEETING WITH MAYOR VAN DER LAAN
30 SEPTEMBER 2013
[10]
VLUCHTBAJES [FLIGHT JAIL/PRISON]
Vluchtbajes is a former prison in the Havenstraat, where a group pf
159 registered rejected refugees are permitted to stay, for the first time with
help of the municipality
At first the refugees refused the shelter at Havenstraat former prison, due to
traumatic experiences with foreign detention centres in the Netherlands [although
the ”Vluchtbajes” is no prison], but later they yielded and now live at Vluchtbajes
SEE ALSO
NL TIMES
FLIGHT CHURCH GROUP ACCEPTS OFFER
2 DECEMBER 2013
[11]
The Vluchtgarage group couldn’t go to Vluchtbajes, because they didn’t belong to the
group of 159, who were registered and gave their dossier to Vluchtelingenwerk
SEE ALSO