The refugees told convincingly that this amount of money is the only income for them for their basic needs, food and accommodation, because we don’t have another income source except this allowance.
Source/Credit: Lanka News Watch
By Lanka News Watch | November 13, 2015
Nepal UNHCR representative called the police who beat up three urban refugees protesting against stoppage of the Subsistence Allowance for their basic needs, food and accommodation, on 10th November 2015.
According to the Nepal law, urban refugees are recognized as illegal migrants and they don’t have the right to work for their survival. However, for the past ten years, they are granted by UNHCR a Subsistence Allowance for survival, education allowance for children below grade 10, and health facility from a recognized hospital. Some social works were done also by Kathmandu community center, an NGO supportive of the urban refugees.
Reportedly, after the new representative, Mr. Craig Sanders, was appointed for Nepal UNHCR in 2013, everything was changed. First, steps were taken to not grant subsistence allowance for the urban refugees who were registered since June 2013. Secondly, in March 2015, subsistence allowance was reduced by 25%. Then came the announcement that the UNHCR is going to stop all the subsistence allowance from 15th December 2015 onward.
Mr. Sanders, an American national, has worked with the UN Refugee Agency since 1992 in a number of countries including Bangladesh, Sudan, Indonesia, it has been reported by the UN Nepal information platform.
According to local media reports, Mr. Sanders' reasoning was offered in a meeting with refugees. Reportedly, refugees were told that if some can live without subsistence allowance since 2013, certainly all can live without it here-onward.
After 16 days¸ on November 10, three refugees independently held a sit in at the UNHCR gate blocking the vehicles' entry into the compound. At about 4.00 pm, the UNHCR representative and the staff left the office after work and asked the local police to interfere and remove the protesters.
As the police arrived many refugees ran but those who remained at the gate were beaten by the cops.
After the incident, UNHCR representative returned to the scene to remind refugees, "Sorry, you blocked my gate, I called the police," it was reported in local media.
Two urban refugees injured by the police attack were taken to the hospital and provided available first aid treatment but because of limited health service by UNHCR, they could not be admitted and were asked to leave the hospital with the injuries.
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h/t A.A. Aziz
Read original post here: Nepal: UNHCR representatives summon police to beat refugees
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