HYDERABAD: In no mood to take chances with Myanmarese refugees after the recent arrest of Mohammed Khalid by the National Investigation Agency for alleged links to the Burdwan blast case, the police came knocking on the doors of Cova, an NGO to examine if they have processes to monitor their movement.
Officials of Cova, which is an implementing partner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and coordinates with asylum seekers of various nationalities, said that police from both Cyberabad and Hyderabad, in deliberations held on Wednesday, asked the NGO to devise strong tracking mechanisms, which is not in place. The thrust of the meeting was on community-based monitoring.
It was also decided that the asylum seekers and refugees living in various parts of the city would be divided into clusters. A "reliable" person of each cluster would be appointed as a "cluster head". Cluster members can report any suspicious activity or person to the cluster head. The cluster head in turn would appraise Cova and police, sources privy to the meeting said.
Admitting that it is difficult to keep a watch on "migrant" refugees, those who move from city to city, a Cova official, who did not wish to be identified, said: "In case any Myanmarese wants to leave the city, he or she will now have to provide details of their destination, including the address where they will be living, and also the purpose of leaving the city. The refugees are afraid of being profiled and do not want any trouble with police, which is why they have assured us of their full cooperation."
Registration of refugees is an international United Nations convention and does not give asylum seekers special privileges, the source clarifed.
The refugees and asylum seekers were asked to submit copies of documents such as proof of identity and also their application for refugee status filed at the UNHCR office in New Delhi with Cova.
The NGO estimates the number of asylum seekers and refugees in the city to over 2,000 living in Balapur, from where Khalid was arrested, Barkas, Shaheen Nagar, Shastri Puram, Hafeez Baba Nagar and Kishan Bagh.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Keep-tabs-on-refugees-living-in-Hyderabad-cops-tell-NGO/articleshow/45223555.cms
Officials of Cova, which is an implementing partner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and coordinates with asylum seekers of various nationalities, said that police from both Cyberabad and Hyderabad, in deliberations held on Wednesday, asked the NGO to devise strong tracking mechanisms, which is not in place. The thrust of the meeting was on community-based monitoring.
It was also decided that the asylum seekers and refugees living in various parts of the city would be divided into clusters. A "reliable" person of each cluster would be appointed as a "cluster head". Cluster members can report any suspicious activity or person to the cluster head. The cluster head in turn would appraise Cova and police, sources privy to the meeting said.
Admitting that it is difficult to keep a watch on "migrant" refugees, those who move from city to city, a Cova official, who did not wish to be identified, said: "In case any Myanmarese wants to leave the city, he or she will now have to provide details of their destination, including the address where they will be living, and also the purpose of leaving the city. The refugees are afraid of being profiled and do not want any trouble with police, which is why they have assured us of their full cooperation."
Registration of refugees is an international United Nations convention and does not give asylum seekers special privileges, the source clarifed.
The refugees and asylum seekers were asked to submit copies of documents such as proof of identity and also their application for refugee status filed at the UNHCR office in New Delhi with Cova.
The NGO estimates the number of asylum seekers and refugees in the city to over 2,000 living in Balapur, from where Khalid was arrested, Barkas, Shaheen Nagar, Shastri Puram, Hafeez Baba Nagar and Kishan Bagh.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Keep-tabs-on-refugees-living-in-Hyderabad-cops-tell-NGO/articleshow/45223555.cms
