A refugee said "I cannot go back to my country because of the following points: 1. Imprisonment and Persecution 2. Torture and punishment 3. Electric torture 4. Beating with the stick on the feet (corporal punishment) 5. threatening me to be killed 6. Lack of human rights organizations which can lobby against human rights violation in the country. 7. Threatening to abuse my family members. 8. Demolition of my house. Due to all that I can’t go back".

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Mar 28, 2008

Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2008


Nadette Foley commenting for Araya on Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2008 :

ArayaHuman Rights Organization

منظمة الراية لحقوق الانسان






Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2008

The Bill may contain elements which could erode the fundamental human rights of people in need of the protection of the State, specifically those protected under the UN Refugee Convention.


Suggested amendments to the 2008 Immigration Bill

IDENTITY CARDS

The IRP Bill continues the current requirement for foreign nationals who are legally resident in the State to always carry new biometric permit cards with them. This potentially discriminatory measure against foreign nationals could seriously interfere with current Government and community integration strategies for over ten per cent of the population and needs to be reconsidered.

DEPORTATION

The IRP Bill’s provisions for deportation and removal need to be amended to meet international standards of non-refoulement and protection against ‘torture and inhuman or degrading treament’ in the country of origin. While Immigration law is the responsibility of the State it needs to operate within the UN Refugee Convention and other international human rights standards. The Irish Government is calling for justice and fairness to apply to irregular Irish immigrants in the USA, so the same standards can be applied to migrants here who through no fault of their own, find themselves outside immigration regulations. The UN Refugee Convention guarantees the right to land in the State and apply for asylum to anyone fleeing persecution in their home country. Without adequate safeguards in this Bill, there is a risk that people will be sent back to a country where their lives or liberty would be in danger, without an opportunity to claim protection.

RIGHT TO MARRY

The IRP Bill’s proposals to cut down the opportunity for marriages of convenience for immigration purposes will also bring hardship to both foreign and Irish people wishing to marry partners of their own choice. The right to marry is a very basic right which this Bill should not restrict.



DETENTION POWERS

The IRP Bill gives wide-ranging powers of arrest and detention to a member of the Garda Siochána which includes penalties for’ an immigrant failing to make reasonable efforts to establish his or her true identity’. Detention of those seeking asylum is recommended by the UNHCR only in extreme circumstances. Migrants who have been recognised as refugees, given subsidiary protection or are in Ireland as workers or students now make up over ten per cent of the population. It is vital that integration strategies and a migrant’s sense of belonging to Irish society is not undermined by harsh powers of arrest and detention due to identity document issues. The Araya Human Rights Organization expresses concern about the power given to gardai to detain asylum seekers summarily in prisons and police stations.

FAMILY REUNION PROCESS

The Family reunion process for refugees has been slowed down by obliging relatives already living in Ireland to apply for 'family reunion' to stay living with someone who has been recognised as a refugee here. This Bill could be amended to facilitate relatives who are living in Ireland (spouses and children and other dependent relatives) to receive the equivalent residence status and visa stamps as the person with refugee status. This change of procedure would reduce considerably the number of backlogged applications being dealt with by the Family Reunion Section of the Department of Justice.
The new Bill will seriously limit the freedom for Irish citizens to marry non-EU nationals and bring their spouses into the country.

Those who come to live, work and pay taxes in Ireland want to exercise their rights to have a normal family life. This Bill needs to make provision for migrants and Irish citizens to apply for family reunion for their non EU spouses, children and other dependents to come and live with them in this country.

FAIR PROCEDURES AND RIGHT OF APPEAL

This Bill needs to be amended to include a right of appeal in all circumstances. An appeal mechanism should involve an independent appeals body for all immigration, residence, family reunion and asylum protection related applications.
This Bill provides for the deportation of an individual who has been 'charged with any crime or offence'. If people are criminalised for entering the country without documents, this can lead to the return of those who are in serious need of protection for whom the Refugee Convention should provide safeguards.




On behalf of the Araya Human Rights Organization
Nadette Foley

Mar 17, 2008

Demonstration sat 22-3-2008



انتصارا لأطفال غزة
ندعوكم لمشاركة اطفالكم فى المظاهرة
التى ستقام لاجل التضامن مع اطفال غزة والمطالبة
برفع الحصار عن الاطفال هناك
(اطفال غزة يصرخون اغيثونا )
الزمان : السبت 22-3-2008
الوقت: من 11.30 وحتى 2.00
المكان : O'Connell St, GPO

نرجوا من الاطفال المشاركين احضار اى صور لاطفال غزة
نرحب بالكبار للمساعدة فى تنظيم المسيرة
للتفاصيل الاتصال على :
0877686173 او0863507493
او الاتصال على مدرسة نور الهدى القرانية
01-2080007
http://ie.f271.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=pri1948@gmail.com Email:
Support the Children of Gaza
We invite you to encourage all children to stand shoulder to shoulder with the children of Gaza, in a demand to lift the siege of the children of Gaza
(The children of Gaza are crying)
Please help us!'
Date: Saturday 22nd March 2008
Time: 11.30am – 2.00am
Venue: O'Connell St, GPO
'If all children present could bring with them pictures of
The children of Gaza
We welcome any help from adults in organizing the protest

Pictures from 15th March Demonstration opposite the GPO

Mar 14, 2008

National Demo Sat 15 th March 1pm

National Demo Sat 15 th March 1pm, Parnell Square, Dublin.Posted March 13th, 2008 by webmaster in IAWM Bulletin This demonstration is part of the 'World Against War' global protests tomark the 5th Anniversary of the Iraq invasion between March 15th and 22nd.Large demonstrations are expected in up to 65 cities worldwide (seewww.worldagainstwar.org for full details),with the following agreed demands:*Troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan*Don¹t Attack Iran*Justice for Palestine / End the Siege of GazaThe demonstration in Dublin will also raise the following demands specificto the Irish context:*US military and Torture Flights out of Shannon*End Irish Complicity with war, occupation and torture.The Dublin protest will assemble on Saturday March 15th at 1pm in ParnellSquare. The demonstration will open with a rally, followed by a marchthrough Dublin City Centre, concluding at the GPO, O Connell St. withspeakers and music.The demonstration is organised by the Irish Anti-War Movement.Supporting organisations include: Peace & Neutrality Alliance, NGO PeaceAlliance, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, UNITE (FormerlyATGWU/Amicus), Federation of Islamic Students in Ireland, Sinn Fein, PeopleBefore Profit Alliance, Labour Party, Labour Youth, Socialist Workers Party,Galway Alliance Against War and more.Richard Boyd Barrett of the Irish Anti-War Movement will chair the protestand rally.Speakers include: Dr Bassam Nassar (Palestinian Community), Rev. PatrickComerford (COI & Founder CND, Ireland), Dr Helena Sheehan (US Citizen inIreland), Aengus O¹ Snodaigh (Sinn Fein), Michael D. Higgins (Labour Party),Ailbhe Smyth (People Before Profit Alliance), Mike Youlton (Irish Anti-WarMovement), Jimmy Kelly (Regional Secretary, UNITE) and more to be announced.The Irish Government is deeply complicit with the crimes of the US in Iraqand elsewhere because it has allowed over one million armed US troops andmany CIA rendition flights to use Shannon airport over the last five years.It is vital we mark this anniversary with huge protests to show oursolidarity with the people of Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and Iran.Crucially, we must support the majority of people in the US and Britain thatwant their troops brought home. It is also vital that we, once again, demandthat the Irish government end its complicity with US warmongering andrestore Irish neutrality by excluding US troops and CIA torture flights fromour airports.

Mar 6, 2008

The problem of Palestine


Araya Human Rights Organization
منظمة الراية لحقوق الانسان
arayahro@yahoo.ie
6th March 2008
Appeal




The problem of Palestine springs from the days of the British rule.
Will the British act now to stop the blood shed that has been inflicted on innocent civilians and children? The bombardment of Gaza and the resulting suffering of children and families and the demolition of their houses has turned the territory of Gaza into a refugee camp. An embargo has been imposed by all the surrounding countries and the US and British politicians are still supporting the aggression of the Israeli military machine. Reflecting on the situation, there will be no clear win but there will be hardship for both sides and more so for the Palestinians. The wisdom of the Jewish holy books is against war, the wisdom of the Koran is against war and the wisdom of the Bible is against war, so why are they fighting? Why do they not live together in peace.?
















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