Danish report on Eritrea faces heavy criticism
The Danish Immigration Service’s fact-finding report on Eritrea has come under heavy fire in both Denmark and Eritrea and a key source in the report now says he was “misused” and quoted out of context. Denmark
- Denmark tightens restrictions on Eritreans (26 Nov 14)
- UN wants Denmark to drop refugee restrictions (17 Nov 14)
- Human trafficking feared behind asylum boom (14 Aug 14)
Gaim Kibreab, a professor at London South Bank University, was featured heavily in the Danish Immigration Service’s report on Eritreabut has now stepped forward to say that he feels “betrayed”.
“I was shocked and very surprised. They quote me out of context. They include me in a context with their anonymous sources in order to strengthen their viewpoints. They have completely ignored facts and just hand-plucked certain information,” Kibreab told Berlingske.
The Immigration Service’s 79-page report indicates that the human rights situation in Eritrea may not be as bad as rumoured and that Denmark should no longer offer blanket asylum to Eritreans fleeing compulsory – and often time indefinite – military service.
Using mostly anonymous sources, the report calls into question previous claims that Eritreans can face retribution or even possible death if they flee the country. The fact finding report instead says that Eritreans who have tried to avoid military service can merely sign a repentance letter and agree to pay an extra two percent ‘Diaspora tax’.
The report thus recommends that Denmark only provide asylum to Eritreans who can show that they face a personal threat.
Even before Kibreab stepped forward, many in both Denmark and Eritrea were expressing their doubts about the fact-finding report.
Danish NGOs including the Danish Refugee Council and Amnesty International have advised against using the findings in the report and a campaign group run by former recruits of the Eritrean National Servicereleased a lengthy rebuttal to the Danish report that accuses it of having “looked hard for unlikely pieces of ‘evidence’ (needle in a haystack style) that could be used to support a policy move away from blanket protection.”
The Stop National Service Slavery in Eritrea campaign said the Danish report ignored the “vast and well established” human rights violations and instead focused too much on the military service.
“We are… adamant that ignoring the host of other human rights violations being perpetrated in Eritrea and focusing on ‘absconding’ in isolation will not curb the flow of refugees from Eritrea nor will it reduce the numbers coming to Denmark (or any other country),” the campaign writes.
Denmark called for the fact-finding mission after the number of Eritrean refugees exploded in July.
Source:The Local
SAVING YOUNG BAHRENEGASHES December 1, 2014
This young people just want to live their life ,they know the cure (opposition) is worse than the illness (EPLF/PFDJ)…..if Pfdj is not going to bother them to visit their country it is not kissing any body´s hand ,but living life to its fullest possible .Would we want them to criticize Isaias for another 23 years.
Why do the people in the diaspora exclude themselves when it comes to fighting PFDj/PAPA ISAIAS ? The JEWS ,PALESTINIANS ,CROATIANS ,SYRIANS ,SOMALIS,SERBIANS…etc left the west & went back to their respective country & fought for what they believed was their cause..When it comes to Eritreans ,diasporans want people in the country only to die while they reap the unpredictable harvest.My relatives are not staying in a sinking ship called Eritrea. Neither are your relatives ,it is just I am honest !”!!
AHMED SALEH !!! December 2, 2014
Reality speaking the elders , women and children couldn’t escape
from the sinking ship unless you give them a helping hand before
it is too late to safe them .
Tamrat Tamrat December 3, 2014
On top of what you said the so called opposition members take parts in all political and social gathering with pfdj people (the good thing with pfdj people they say loud and clear that they are pfdj except when they are interviewed why they left eritrea). The pfjd people bragg about loud how hgedf score all the development while the oppositon shows their disatisfcation by looking the floor with politness so that they dont explode with anger all is a lie. Did i say politness may be it is a crystal clear fear of the shabia revolution.
The above experience gathered in Oslo, Norway from eir wedding, birthday parties, eri-protestant church, burial ceremony (Lekso in amharic), ‘ethio-eri orthodox gathering (failed immediately the ethios couldnt tolerate hgedf eris). In all this gathering the pfdj not only preach pfdj but their ton is intimidating as if they are in asmara.
Daniel December 1, 2014
Most of the so called asylum seekers are PFDJ supporters. I saw them at the Geneva demonstration.EU should have deported these scambags.
meshengoga December 2, 2014
kkkkkk dumsus wahid
Mike December 1, 2014
Note sure who wrote this report but it is making a splash and picking up steam…. If true ten….
I thought of this article a bit more and figured the Eritrean government will use it now to justifying and request to relax UN restrictions on Eritrea. Well, when you have some in the community confused and mixed up on why they are leaving Eritrea in the first place – this is what you get. You give a talking point to Eritrean government on requesting a lift on restrictions. As you may have heard the Eritrean government has this story and they are dancing with it.
Well, the fact is still bad in Eritrea. Perhaps this might be a two edge sword for the Eritrean government. If they make people stay in Eritrea, it will explode on their face. If Eritrean gov. ignore and not fight for lifting a restriction using this “tiny glimmer of hope” of news, if the findings re true, then it is the same cycle (meaning – jail, rape, endless military service, and ….) and thus the life of the Eritrean government in power might go on but not for too long I hope. I take it the government will do the first scenario but knowing them how the conduct diplomacy in other events the success rate is be remote. Managing the PR and is a disaster over in Eritrea. If I were them (Eritrean government) I would spin it ad not screw up the PR.
Well, hope the best for Eritrean people.
AHMED SALEH !!! December 2, 2014
Eritreans refugee problems is beyond the issues with Denmark
since they are all over the world . While they keep crossing
to neighboring countries it will not stop unless identify the
root cause of this problem to find solution . And I believe
firmly we Eritreans have responsibility to take care our own
national affairs . We do not owe them and likewise they don’t.
The reaction of Denmark toward Eritrean refugees might send
a wrong signal to others with big number of asylum seekers
same way they handled on nationalities of same category .
Somehow and somewhere our unfortunate reality must end from
within inside our country otherwise the sufferings will
continue to hunt us down regularly regardless where we reside .
tegistei December 2, 2014
hatew qetew zereba gedeifkum; heizeibi eritrea himaqq allo ! entay neigber :kemey neigber; buzuhat yeiesseru ;kab geza ms wetsuu yelowunn;hayletatt mes kede ab addeu dehay yelen;haleftei mengstei kab geza sirah mes kedeu ne misahh geza aymeilesun;temeharoo yeitefuu alowu ; ettta zeiweledett trayy wedey gualley teibeill alla; entay neigber entay negber ; hade neger eyyu entay negber; kulu kufeuuueee yeigeberr allo ab ertrea ;entay kee negberr,,, zeitegebre ayteingerunnaaaaaa ? entay neigberr himaqqq alloo heizebe befeillayy addee ertrawwii weddey gualleyy eteibeill,
selemon December 2, 2014
እቲ ፕሮፈሰር ዝበሃል ማዕርግ ዘለዎ ኣብ ግዜ
ወያነ ከይተረፈ ኣንጻር ህዝብን መንግስትን እዩ
ነሩ ስለዚ ካብኡ ጽቡቕ ነገር ዝሓስብውን
ኣይመስለንን ብዘይካ ቤላቤለው ቆይቂ ካልእ
ኣይተማህረን
Mehret December 3, 2014
ayenay professor ikha tzareb zelokha?
Daniel December 3, 2014
LOL! I think he is trying to say general or captain instead of professor.
Simon G. December 3, 2014
If it wasn’t not for HGDF supporters (forget isayas), this wouldn’t even be any news at all.
To the hell with Denamark.
hureya December 3, 2014
the good thing what we have to do is look on the root of the cause and lets come on consensuses and solve the problem unless the flee of the youth non stoppable thing more than what can imagine
Abraham Hanibal December 3, 2014
I think each and every Eritrean should think what the final solution is going to be. Running away, and in the process exposing oneself to undisclosed dangers and death is not the ultimate solution to our problems. Though it is hard and feels quite imposssible, we’ve to decide to be courageous enough to face the tyranny that has destroyed our lives and country. We all need to rise up and say enough to dictatorship and yes to rule of law and justice. To achieve this goal, every Eritrean that aspires for change to the better should contribute by whatever means: be it financially, morally, politically, diplomatically, paritipating in demonstrations, and other means of activism. And in persuing our struggle against dictatorship, it is of paramount importance that we refrain from exacerbeting our cituation and prolonging the life of tyranny by paying the 2% tax, or engaging in any economical, social, and political relationship with the PFDJ-regime.
Tamrat Tamrat December 3, 2014
What is the difference between economical and political refugees?
In Eritrean case a political refugee is an eritrean forced to live abroad because of hgdef communist economic policy.
And an economical refugee is a promoter of hgdef policy.
What confuses the non-eritrean majority is you dont tell which one is which.