Iranians take refuge near UNHCR office<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Twenty-four Iranians, including seven children, have taken
\nrefuge on Jl. Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta, after fleeing clashes
\nwith other asylum seekers at their accommodation in Mataram, West
\nNusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
They tried to meet officials from the United Nations High
\nCommissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Saturday, but to no avail,
\nand instead were met by an official from the International
\nOrganization for Migration (IOM).<\/p>\n
The asylum seekers, who are trying to reach Australia along
\nwith others from the Middle East, were still gathered in front of
\nthe UNHCR compound as of Sunday evening.<\/p>\n
When asked what they wanted, the Iranians declined to comment.<\/p>\n
\"We won't give an explanation without getting paid,\" one of
\nthem said.<\/p>\n
They were apparently part of the 251 illegal Middle Easterners
\nstranded on Bima island in July of last year.<\/p>\n
During their stay in Mataram, the Iranians clashed with
\nIraqis, and then decided to travel to Surabaya before heading to
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
\"None of the 24 refugees has a passport or other legal
\ndocuments. Regrettably, we have to return them to Mataram,\"
\ndeputy of the IOM, Joji Remigio said, as quoted by Antara on
\nSaturday. \"They said they intend to go to Australia to seek
\nwork.\"<\/p>\n
He said the reason for returning the refugees to Mataram was
\nthat there was no accommodation available for them in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The Iranians claimed they were often terrorized by Iraqi
\nrefugees, making their stay uncomfortable at the hotel allotted
\nto them in Mataram.<\/p>\n
IOM planned to send them back on Saturday evening on a
\nchartered bus. The office will contact the West Nusa Tenggara
\nPolice to ensure their safety.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/iranians-take-refuge-near-unhcr-office-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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