80 Eritrean refugees seized at the border between Egypt and Israel

An urgent appeal to: UNHCR, OHCHR, European Parliament and Commission, Council of the European Union, Egyptian Government

Milan (Italy), Novembre 24, 2010. We received a request for help from 80 Eritrean refugees seized at the border between Egypt and Israel, by traffickers who pretend to pay $. 8,000 for release. These refugees say that departed from Tripoli Libya, to go to Israel, have already paid the agreed price of $. 2,000, but smugglers have betrayed the agreements I want more.

The dramatic story of the refugees is made on their condition, are already one month that are tethered with chains on their feet, as was once the slave trade, constantly threatened by 20 days that do not touch water for washing, are segregated in the houses in the desert of Sinai, under threat of death if they do not pay $ 8,000 dollars. I'm told that there are many other displaced Eritreans, Ethiopians, Somalis, Sudanese in the Sinai in similar conditions, we are talking about 600 people in total. This mode of blackmail over time become profitable for these traffickers who exploit the desperation of these refugees.

This situation also the result of the closure of the borders of Europe through bilateral agreements, which did not offer alternatives to asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa, now increasingly forced to rely on these brokers in human flesh, human traffickers. The policy and rejections of closure, is favoring the enrichment of traffickers and criminals who deceive the desperate people fleeing war, persecution, famine.

We demand the intervention of the European Community, the Egyptian government to push these people to soar without endangering human lives, in this group of refugees are also women in conditions greatly weakened by lack of food, igneous staff, are in a situation of total degradation and degrading human dignity.

Don Mussie Zerai, Agenzia Habeshia

Roberto Malini, Matteo Pegoraro, Dario Picciau, EveryOne Group

Alfred Breitman, Watching The Sky

Associazione La Ruota Rossa

Associazione Anne's Door

Circolo Generazione Italia Milano, Sezione Diritti Umani

Contact:

Habeshia: agenzia_habeshia@yahoo.it

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