[Urbanstudy] Press Release of Public Meeting - 31st March 4.30 p.m. - The Constitution Club - New Delhi

[Navdeep Mathur]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Priyanca Mathur Velath <p.m.velath at gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Apr 1, 2011 at 9:17 AM
Subject: Press Release of Public Meeting - 31st March 4.30 p.m. - The
Constitution Club - New Delhi



FYI -

(Please circulate)

Thanks - PMV


*PRESS RELEASE *

*
*

In a two-day workshop on ‘*Protection of Refugees and Stateless persons in
India and her Neighbours’ *held on March 30 – 31 Delhi by *The Other Media* the
participants expressed their concern at the increasing problems of refugees
and stateless persons in the South Asian region and the lack of a legal
mechanism for their protection.



The objective of the workshop was to bring together representatives of
refugee communities, organizations, NGOs, scholars, researchers, other
concerned institutions and individuals committed to refugee protection in
India, as well as in South Asia, towards examining the current status of the
state of refugees and the protection of their rights.



The workshop was a great opportunity of building networks, for refugee
communities, both amongst themselves and also between them and the NGO and
academic community; at the national and South Asian level and to promote
collective action and involvement in removing impediments in protecting the
rights of stateless persons and refugees. Since refugees and stateless
persons are essentially a regional phenomenon, it was urged that the
national governments work out a Regional Framework for solving the problem.
However, a proactive role is expected from the Indian state in coming out
with a domestic law or the protection of refugees and resolving the
outstanding issue of stateless persons.



More than ten representatives of refugee/stateless communities expressed
their concerns regarding the issues of legal protection and survival, lack
of right to work, adequate housing, health care and education, particularly
in the urban context. Refugees from Pakistan living in the western state of
Rajasthan lamented the climate of suspicion existing in the process of their
recognition. Activists working with Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu
expressed the need to end the climate of heightened securitization that
prevailed during the months of war. Urban refugee communities living in
Delhi like those from Myanmar, Afghanistan and Somalia worry about the
threats to their lives and safety from violent attacks and deplored the
inability of the local police to provide them adequate protection.



The two-day conference has focussed on specific issues concerning the
Refugee Convention, 1951, Convention Relating to the status of Stateless
Persons, 1954, and the 1961 Convention for Reducing Statelessness.



The participants discussed policy responses to population movements, current
position of the refugees and stateless persons and the legal hurdles in the
way of their recognition. They resolved to organise themselves into a
‘Refugee & Stateless Persons Rights Network of India’ for better sharing of
experiences and to campaign jointly for a better deal.



What has emerged from this workshop is that there are larger issues of state
responsibility in ensuring democracy, rule of law, minority protection –
both at the national and regional level. Noting that many of the refugee
situations are human rights crisis situations, the participants have
implored that measures should be taken where all the states ensure better
protection of human rights standards and human rights defenders.



For further queries – Ravi Hemadri (9871415186); Priyanca Mathur Velath
(9899032722)
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