Iranians take refuge near UNHCR office

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Twenty-four Iranians, including seven children, have taken refuge on Jl. Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta, after fleeing clashes with other asylum seekers at their accommodation in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara.

They tried to meet officials from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Saturday, but to no avail, and instead were met by an official from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The asylum seekers, who are trying to reach Australia along with others from the Middle East, were still gathered in front of the UNHCR compound as of Sunday evening.

When asked what they wanted, the Iranians declined to comment.

"We won't give an explanation without getting paid," one of them said.

They were apparently part of the 251 illegal Middle Easterners stranded on Bima island in July of last year.

During their stay in Mataram, the Iranians clashed with Iraqis, and then decided to travel to Surabaya before heading to Jakarta.

"None of the 24 refugees has a passport or other legal documents. Regrettably, we have to return them to Mataram," deputy of the IOM, Joji Remigio said, as quoted by Antara on Saturday. "They said they intend to go to Australia to seek work."

He said the reason for returning the refugees to Mataram was that there was no accommodation available for them in Jakarta.

The Iranians claimed they were often terrorized by Iraqi refugees, making their stay uncomfortable at the hotel allotted to them in Mataram.

IOM planned to send them back on Saturday evening on a chartered bus. The office will contact the West Nusa Tenggara Police to ensure their safety.